


Pokemon Conquest: The Legend of Ransei

by Justinian



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon + Nobunaga no Yabou | Pokemon Conquest
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-07-25 00:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 371,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20023231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justinian/pseuds/Justinian
Summary: Tadashi and Kazumi are Aurora's new Warlords. Thrust into a region consumed by war, they must rely on their links and each other as they are pushed down the road to unifying Ransei against Nobunaga. Pokemon Conquest Novelization. Ported from FFN.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, dear reader. This story, while not the first attempt at a Pokemon Conquest Novelization (albeit one of the earliest, its first incarnation existing shortly during 2013), nor the first one to be finished (as far as I am aware, only one story currently holds that honor), is easily the longest of them; both in terms of actual length and the amount of time has been spent writing it. That I have now spent six years writing this monumentally corpulent piece of fanfiction was enough to make me want to archive it in case FFN went down again - and if nothing else, to serve as a monument to my own inadequacies as a writer. Currently there are fifty-four chapters; the fifty-fifth will be the finale, and it's given me pause to look back over how exactly I got here. 
> 
> When I started writing I had no beta-reader; I still don't, but I am at least far better at spotting grammatical errors and other awkward bits of prose than I was as a young teenager. The early chapters are riddled with such errors, and I avoid rereading them out of shame of the mistakes of my younger self. Put plainly, I was too ambitious, too unfocused and too incoherent. Regardless, I have left them unedited (sans removing the contextual author's notes); not only to hopefully make the contrast starker with the later, post-Pugilis chapters where I like to believe that I have largely managed to avoid my prior errors (or otherwise mitigate them into something readable), but to also encapsulate a slice of what an already obscure fandom was like back during its heyday.
> 
> But I've prattled on long enough. If nothing else, I am proud that this story has come this far, and I hope you do enjoy it.

The moon shone brightly down on Avia and the mountain that it jutted out of, creating a certain calm that would have given the appearance of serenity, despite its current situation. At the base of the massive landform the attacking Oda Army was utilizing a vast amount of torches to keep the area visible as it engaged itself in a heated debate, giving away its location in the process.

"At this rate we will never capture Avia."

"Nonsense, Mitsuhide. We must be patient for a little longer and their endurance shall crumble."

"And how much is "a little longer", Ieyasu? A month? Or, given your penchant for sitting, perhaps a year." the steel-clad man glowered at No, who only produced a playful smile across her porcelain face, gleeful at striking a nerve with the portly man.

The Oda camp was abuzz with debate over what to do with the staggering siege of Avia. Entrenched at the foot of the mountain that the castle was built into, every attempt to seize it had been repulsed in one way or another, leading to a stalemate that seemed to have lasted forever.

Nobunaga himself sat at the end of their impromptu council, utilizing his armor-encased hand to support his head as he looked on, his black eyes moving lazily between his generals as they debated. Finally he straightened his posture, his obsidian colored armor creating quite the racket as he did so.

"Enough." even though he only uttered one word, every head in the camp turned in his direction.

"If they will not meet us in an open battle, then we will force them out of their foxholes. Burn Avia to the ground." Everyone was silent for a few tense moments after he had given his command. Finally Mitsuhide stood up from his folding stool and shook his head incredulously before he began, his long hair swaying as a result.

"My-My Lord, you can't possibly be serious. What about-" Nobunaga raised his hand, silencing the blue-clad general.

"The castle is built far enough from the town that no citizens will come to harm, and the garrison can merely fly away. Nobunaga has thought this through, Mitsuhide. Your qualms are irrelevant." Mitsuhide became tongue tied at that, but still refused to sit down.

"But the winds! They could carry the flames downwards." Nobunaga only chuckled.

"Or upwards, if the heavens favor Nobunaga. War is not an exact science Mitsuhide... You must come to understand that, if we are to ever bring peace."

"Y-Yes... Yes, My Lord." Mitsuhide then slowly took his seat once again, having an internal debate over the morality of what they were planning.

"Katsuie." Nobunaga said, without even directing his gaze away from the confused warlord.

"Yes, My Lord?" a large, bearded man replied, standing up from his seat quickly.

"Nobunaga entrusts to you the success of the fire attack." He only bowed in reply, before quickly and wordless striding out of the encampment.

"If all of Ransei must be destroyed and made new again for peace to come, then so be it. But Nobunaga's Ambition must not be stopped, for the good of the land." As his last statement caused even more murmuring among the remaining generals, a young teen, clad in pink and white, could only stare on in horror.

" _Destroy Ransei!? He can't possibly be serious! But... If brother's willing to go as far as to burn Avia to the ground, then what else is he willing to do?_ " She then looked down at the round pink Pokémon she cradled in her arms, silently asking it for any advice, only to see that it was just as concerned as she was.

" _I-I- I can't let brother do that! If his ambition is going to destroy Ransei, then I have to find someone who can stop him!_ " While everyone else was distracted with their discussions, she quickly parted the goldenrod cloth that served as a wall to the camp and ran away as fast as her feet could carry her.

Away from Nobunaga, his army and his ambition.

And in the distance, Avia was consumed by an inferno; giving it the illusion of being a giant torch in the dark night sky.

* * *

It was a clear, sunny afternoon in Aurora, without a cloud in the sky. Despite the upbeat atmosphere of the day, two teens slowly and sullenly walked down the dirt road that led through the fields on the outskirts of Aurora and into the small hamlet.

It was clear to the few farmers who were busy working that they were siblings, most likely twins; looking to be of the same age, sharing the same chestnut colored hair and blue eyes. The girl was glancing downwards as she walked forward, to the Eevee that was napping contentedly in her arms and then to her pristine, metallic boots, pristine to the point they could be mistaken for porcelain, as they kicked up small amounts of dirt with every step she took.

The boy was just as distracted as his sister, and despite looking straight ahead at the clear road, his eyes were glazed over slightly, indicating he was lost in thought and paying little attention to the path. The brown, fox-like Pokemon that was perched on his shoulder noticed this and nudged his cheek slightly, shaking him out of his stupor. He wordlessly scratched it's chin in return, a way of saying thanks. Finally the girl spoke up, breaking the tense atmosphere that had formed.

"I can't believe uncle is-" she started to speak shakily, only to find herself incapable of finishing her sentence.

"Gone." the boy said, completing her thought in the most diplomatic way possible. After that the two remained silent, slowly trudging into the small, wooden town.

They walked down the small, main road of the hamlet that led directly to the small wooden structure that served as the castle. When they stopped when they reached the wooden gates, staring at it expectantly for a few moments. When the gates failed to open, and no one called out from the gatehouse, the boy decided to knock on the large wooden doors. Despite the resounding sound, neither teens could hear any motion on the other side, prompting the boy to reach into the leather knapsack he was carrying and pull out a folded piece of paper.

"I don't get it, Kazumi." he said as he unfolded the paper.

"We were told that we were supposed to come to Aurora Castle." He then passed the document to Kazumi, who despite holding her napping Eevee, managed to read it.

"I don't know... Maybe-"

"Hey you two!" The two twins and their Pokemon jumped up in shock at the sudden shouting, and quickly turned around. They saw an apron-wearing man approaching them, who was pointing the end of the broom he was carrying at them.

"What are you two doing!?" he shouted, clearly not happy about their presence.

"We were-"

"I know yer type!" he suddenly shouted, overpowering the two. "Soldiers of fortune! I bet you're here to take our castle!"

"No! We're here for-"

Well, you can't have it! There's a monster living inside."

"Monster?" Kazumi shakily asked, visions of a large, dragon-like Pokemon surrounded by skeletons assailing her mind. Her brother and the shopkeeper paid no attention to her and continued their spontaneous argument.

"Will you stop interrupting me!" After that it just turned into a short-lived shouting match, which the shopkeeper quickly ended by hitting the boy over the head with his broom, causing the teen's red scarf to fall from his neck. As he bent down to pick it up, the shopkeeper noticed a symbol of two olive branches emblazoned on the side.

"I know that symbol..." he muttered, trying to come up with where he had seen it before.

"Oh, That's Lord Sorin's crest! You two must be his-" As the shopkeeper said that he trailed off, before his eyes grew wide in shock at the realization of who he was having an argument with. The man the got on his knees and raised his hands over his head, begging for their forgiveness in a flurry of barely intelligible words. Kazumi reeled back slightly in embarrassment at the man's sudden change in mood, while her brother only turned his head indignantly.

"It's fine, really. You were only trying to defend your home." The shopkeeper calmed down at her reassurance and looked up at them.

"Ya really forgive me?" She smiled warmly in return.

"Of course we do. Right, Tadashi?" Tadashi still refused to look at the man, which prompted his twin to elbow him in his armor-covered ribs. He flinched and immediately clutched his smarting side, but still replied halfheartedly.

"Fine. I forgive you." Before the easily excitable man could let off a series off thank yous, Kazumi preempted him with another question.

"So is there really a monster in the castle?"

"No, it's just something we said to scare off any wannabe attackers." The shopkeeper then got off of his knees, dusted off his apron, and then went up to the black, wooden gates.

"If they weren't scared off by you already..." Tadashi muttered, which earned him another elbow to the ribs from his sister.

"Hey, Keiji! You can let these two in!" the shopkeeper shouted. The gates then creaked as they swung open, revealing a massive, muscular man that might have been mistaken for a monster from a distance.

"Took ya long enough! It was starting to get boring with only the maid and that dusty ol' clerk to talk to."

"Clerk?" the twins asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, he's back in the study. I bet he wants to see ya." He whistled sharply, causing a large gray mass behind him to start moving towards him, to the twins' shock.

"Time to go, Bastiodon." The Pokemon only yawned in return and the twins parted, letting him and his Pokemon move.

"Hey, wait!" Keiji and Bastiodon, who were past the gatehouse by now, turned back. "Aren't you part of Aurora's Army?"

"Nah, I was just hired to keep watch over the castle till you two arrived. Be seeing ya!" He and his Pokemon then continued their descent into the small village, until all that could be seen of them was the top of Keiji's long, unruly blond hair.

"Well, I imagine that we have to go see this "clerk" over the letter. What do you think Eevee?" Kazumi asked, holding up the letter.

"Bui Bui." The small Pokemon next to her replied. It then jumped up her outstretched arm and onto her head, sitting down between the two golden maedates sticking out of her brown hair. The two twins then trotted into the white castle via the open doors to find themselves in the small foyer. When they walked through the small room and into the throne room, the two found themselves immediately slowing their pace.

"It's... been a long time." the girl said as she took a seat on one of the chairs off to the side, blankly looking across the room.

"Yeah..." was all Tadashi said in return, staring at the old chair that served as a throne, as if staring straight into the past. The two stayed where they were in silence, their Pokemon respectfully staying quiet. Finally Kazumi painfully tore away from her seat, and slowly stood up.

"C'mon. If I remember correctly the study is this way." When her brother made no motion to move, she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly. He sighed and then nodded in response and followed her down the hallway to the right. The two walked down the bare hallway, every step they took creating a slight echo, before stopping at the door at the end of the passage. Tadashi reached out and knocked a few times.

"Come in," someone replied. Tadashi opened the door and let his sister inside before following closely, to find themselves looking at a middle-aged man dressed in a large, white kimono. When he saw the two his weary face immediately brightened, and he put down the quill he was writing with.

"Ah, you've finally arrived. Please, take a seat my lord and lady." The two sat down in the chairs in front of the man's cluttered desk, with Tadashi putting his knapsack over the seat and furrowing his brow at the sight of the man.

"You look vaguely familiar."

"Ah, you do remember me. Given it's been eight years since your last visit I'm pleasantly surprised, actually. Either way, I am Naoshige Nabeshima, and I take it you are already aware of why you are here," the man said, his voice becoming a bit sullen at the mention of the letter. Kazumi only folded her hands in her lap while Tadashi nodded.

"As you are Lord Sorin's next of kin, and per his wishes, the control of Aurora falls to you. I think it might be a good idea though, to get acquai-" Before Naoshige could finish his recommendation, another teen ran into the room, followed closely by a Jigglypuff.

"Mr. Nabeshima! Keiji's gone and there are warriors from-" The auburn-haired teen stopped when she saw the other two teens sitting in the room.

"Warriors?" the twins asked.

"It would sound as if you'll be fighting your first battle sooner than I thought. Oichi, escort them to the enemy." Oichi bowed and turned to leave with the two twins in tow, only for Kazumi to turn around.

"Aren't you going to fight with us?" Naoshige only grew a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm afraid not. I'm not much of a fighter and might be more of a hindrance than a help." Kazumi only nodded as her Eevee jumped off of her head, and the two quickly chased after Tadashi and Oichi, who were frantically running down the hallway.

* * *

Kazumi and her Eevee finally managed to catch up with her brother and Oichi. The two were already out in the courtyard across from the three invading warriors. She lined up next to her brother, with her Eevee doing likewise.

"So, you're all here, eh?" the opposing warrior in the middle commented. "Well, I feel bad since this is your first day as a warlord and all, but orders are orders! Bidoof, Headbutt!" The brown, plump Pokemon that was in front of the warrior charged head first at the Pokemon straight across from him: Tadashi's Eevee.

"Assist with Helping Hand, Eevee!" Kazumi's Eevee placed it's paw on its counterpart, enveloping it in a strange glow.

"Meet Bidoof head on with Quick Attack!" Tadashi's Eevee charged forward, leaving a large white streak in its wake, and collided head first with the rapidly approaching Bidoof. The impact sent Bidoof reeling back across the field, followed by Eevee launching another Quick Attack on Tadashi's order.

"I don't think so. Ember, Tepig!" The Pig-like Pokemon standing nearby the downed Bidoof proceeded to shoot off a series of small flames from its orange snout at the charging Eevee, forcing it to swerve frantically.

"Scratch, Pansear!" Eevee who had been unknowingly redirected to the Pansear on the right, was quickly swiped away with a swift attack from the red simian that raked across its brown face.

"Quick Attack on Tepig!"

"We need to draw the enemy away from Lord Tadashi, Jigglypuff, Sing." Kazumi's Eevee charged towards the Tepig that was approaching Tadashi's downed Eevee, Jigglypuff sent out a steady stream of colorful notes at Pansear.

While Kazumi's Eevee successfully slammed into Tepig, knocking it away, and Pansear was now peacefully sleeping, Bidoof had crashed into Eevee with a Rollout before the latter had gotten up. Bidoof, who was rapidly rolling around, quickly spun around just as the fox-like Pokemon had managed to get back on its feet.

"Use Sand Attack and blind it!"

"Bui!" Eevee replied before spinning around and using its hind legs to kick up a large amount of dirt, dust and sand, creating a large smokescreen the the Plump Mouse Pokemon got lost in.

"Now Quick Attack!"

"Defense Curl, Bidoof!" Eevee charged into the cloud, fading into obscurity, before a loud crash resounded and a balled up Bidoof was shot out of it as if it were a ball that had just been kicked.

"Finish Bidoof off with Bite!"

"Stop it with another Headbutt!" ordered the burly warrior.

"Doubleslap, Jigglypuff!" Both heads turned to see that Jigglypuff, having just finished off Pansear who was being carried away by its partner, was charging at Bidoof from the right. Bidoof slammed i's stubby feet into the ground to stop its charge, and turned to face the round Pokemon, only for Jigglypuff to quickly start smacking it across the face. Tadashi's Eevee then made one last charge, jumped up, and landed jaws first on Bidoof. The Pokemon cried out in pain, but managed to literally shake the Evolution Pokemon off its back. Before anyone could issue another attack, Tepig crashed into Bidoof, having been sent flying by Eevee's latest attack, and the two Pokemon collapsed in a crumpled heap.

"Retreat!" the burly warrior in the middle cried out, quickly picking up the two unconscious Pokemon before turning and running with his two cohorts out of the courtyard.

"We did it!" Kazumi exclaimed, catching her enthusiastic Eevee in her arms.

"Well done my Lord, my Lady." Oichi said, a small smile spread across her countenance.

"Oichi, right?" Tadashi asked, to which she nodded.

"Thanks, I don't think the battle would have gone the same without you." The girl, who as now was cradling her Jigglypuff again, seemed genuinely taken aback at the compliment. Tadashi raised his eyebrow in turn, making her a bit more nervous.

"I-I'm sorry, I just usually don't get compliments on how I battle."

"Puff." her Pokémon replied as well. Tadashi then smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, you should be proud either way on how you fought."

"Why don't we go tell Naoshige that we can stay?" The other two nodded and the three and their Pokémon headed back into the wooden keep.

* * *

The three warriors marched up a hill overlooking Aurora, where two figures, each mounted on a Ponyta, awaited them.

"Report, Koroku," the ghostly pale, black clad figure on left ordered as the burly warrior and his two cohorts got to the top of the hill. The muscular warrior, presumably Koroku, then knelt down on one knee in front of the mounted man.

"Two Eevees and one Jigglypuff. They're more powerful than we thought."

"Thank you, Koroku. Head on back to Ignis, I'm sure Hideyoshi will need you for something," the mounted, robed warrior on the right said.

"Yes, Lord Hanbei, Lord Kanbei." Koroku then got back up and, with the other two warriors and Pokémon in tow, continued their march down the hill.

"Well, let's get going Kanbei. I sure hope these new Warlords can be enough of a challenge to keep us awake, right Pikachu?" The warrior then reached up to the floppy hat that covered most of his messy black hair and shook a small, yellow Pokémon, causing it to stir.

"Pika..." it said before shifting over and going back to sleep.

"Let us hope that is not the case, Hanbei." Kanbei replied, a black, lamp-like Pokémon materializing behind him seconds later. Kanbei then snapped the reigns of his Ponyta slightly, urging the Pony Pokémon to go forward. Hanbei did likewise and the two started to slowly descend the hill, headed towards Aurora.


	2. Chapter 2

After the trio had returned to the castle and told Naoshige of their victory, he offered to take them out to lunch to celebrate. After having been on the road for so long the two new Warlords were all too eager for a bite to eat. So Naoshige led them down into the small hamlet to the local Ponigiri shop, only for the twins to discover the owner was the same shopkeeper from before.

The scene that followed was an awkward one. Tadashi just scoffed, closing his eyes and turning his head, Kazumi bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to say, and the shopkeeper suddenly became interested in the various knots in the wooden counter. While Oichi and her Jigglypuff were confused with the scene, Naoshige seemed blissfully ignorant and was glancing over the menu.

"Hmm... I'm not sure what to get. What would you recommend Rikyu?" The shopkeeper, presumably Rikyu, looked up from his inspection of the surface.

"I'd just made a fresh batch of Purple Ponigiri." Naoshige nodded in response.

"That sounds good. What about you three?"

"I haven't had a Purple Ponigiri in years! Why not? Oh, and two for the Eevee, please." Kazumi exclaimed, her mouth watering at the thought of the treat.

"What do you want, Jigglypuff?" Jigglypuff pointed a stubby arm at the menu item that it wanted, followed by a recitation of its name. "I suppose a Blue Ponigiri sounds good."

"Nothing for me." the male twin muttered.

"Really? You're not hungry in the slightest?" his counterpart asked cynically.

"Nope." Kazumi scowled in an almost motherly fashion.

"You have to eat something. I'm not going to have you start complaining you're hungry twenty minutes later because you didn't get anything to eat for one stupid reason or the other." Tadashi scowled back.

"I only did that once!" his sister's gaze got more intense, prompting him to back down.

"Okay... maybe more than once." the maedate-wearing warlord admitted sheepishly, followed with a sigh.

"Fine, if you insist, I'll just have some rice." Rikyu, who had been writing down the orders on a slip of paper, nodded, and disappeared into the stall. He came out moments later, carrying a tray of the ordered items out to the customers. Though Kazumi reached into a small pouch tied around the sash at her waist, reaching for a few gold coins, Naoshige objected to her paying and simply tossed a few coins of his own to Rikyu.

* * *

After finding a rather shady place to eat, considering the lack of clouds made the sun seem overbearing on such an otherwise mild day, the group of warlords went to talking about business while enjoying their meals. Despite his earlier objections, Tadashi scarfed down the small amount of food he had, which only prompted further teasing from his sister.

This in turn sparked an argument between the two, which somehow got on the topic of who had seniority. What followed was the two other warriors and the Pokémon eating their food uncomfortably while they watched a civil war unfold before them.

"Well, I was born a few minutes earlier than you! So naturally I have seniority." Kazumi stated proudly.

"And the humility to match..." Tadashi muttered.

"What was that?" It was clear that was not a question. Tadashi only scoffed and turned his head.

"It doesn't matter. Uncle did favor me to rule anyways." Before either brown haired twin could continue the squabble, Oichi decided it was time to interject with a reasonable solution.

"Why not battle for Aurora rather than just argue?" Both of the twins blinked blankly, only for Tadashi to whistle sharply. The two Eevees, who were perfectly content to watch their masters argue from the sidelines, immediately sprang from their location underneath the wooden table. The two foxlike Pokémon came to a grinding halt before their partners, who had gained some distance between each other in a few seconds.

"Start out with a Quick Attack, Eevee!" Tadashi's Eevee replied with an enthusiastic 'Bui', and then rocketed off from its spot.

"Stop Eevee with Sand Attack!" Kazumi's Eevee turned around and started to kick up a cloud of dust and sand, one that anyone could easily get lost in.

"Dig and avoid it!" the male's Eevee used the momentum of its charge to jump and burrow back into the ground, leaving behind only a hole as the only evidence it had fled underground.

"Stay alert, Eevee. We don't know where the attack will be coming from." Eevee obeyed its mistress' command, looking around for any indication of where the attack would come from: eroded soil, pebbles shaking, or any sort of vibration. But to the frustration of both Pokémon and Warlord, there was none to be found.

"Now, Quick Attack!" Tadashi shouted. His sister and her Eevee immediately scrambled about looking for the attack, only for them to ignore the giant cloud of dust that Kazumi's Eevee had kicked up minutes earlier, the same one that the opposing Eevee leapt out of in a streak of white.

"Thanks for giving us some cover." the white and black armored warlord taunted, as his Pokémon connected with its shocked opponent. Kazumi's Eevee reeled back from the attack, but quickly countered with a Quick Attack of its own, sending the other Pokémon back into the dust cloud.

As the twin's battle continued to rage on, they failed to notice that they had attracted a rather large crowd of observers. This obliviousness was also shared by three children, who were walking down the back alley of a few buildings that lead to the main road, too caught up in their arguing to notice the crowd.

* * *

"We've been here for a few days Mistunari, and still there's no treasure! I'm startin' to think it's just a myth." the scruffiest of the trio complained. The other kid he was complaining to suddenly spun around, the oversized, hairy headdress that was precariously perched on his head falling and covering his face. He immediately adjusted it, so that it no longer covered his face and some of his auburn hair, and growled at the raven haired companion.

"Oh can it, you idiot! I'm positive that Sorin hid that horde of gold somewhere in Aurora, and once we find it we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams." The third member of the trio then stepped between the two, his tan arms reaching out to push the two apart.

"Calm down you two, arguing won't get us- what's going on over there?" The other two looked in the direction that the green wearing boy had suddenly gazed over at, and saw that the entryway to the road was filled with spectators.

"Whatever it is, it's probably more interesting than this conversation." Mitsunari quipped before turning in the direction of the crowd. Being as the crowd towered over the three children, Mitsunari decided to push his way through to get to the front. Unfortunately for him, a few people in the crowd had other ideas. And unfortunately for the crowd, Mitsunari's response was a metal boot to the shin and a sarcastic remark while the other two apologized in his stead. After having shoved and kicked his way to the front, with his to compatriots close behind him, the trio could finally get a good view of the Pokémon Battle between the two warlords in front of them.

"Oh cool! A Pokémon Battle!" the raven haired of the group exclaimed, throwing his fists into the air in a display of excitement. Mitsunari only rolled his eyes.

"It's just that Masanori. Come on, we have better things to do with our time."

"Like plotting to steal the fortune of a dead man?" the tan, grey haired member of the group commented.

"Don't tell me you're enjoying this frivolity too, Kiyomasa?"

"You need to learn to relax every once in a while Mitsunari." Mistunari groaned, but before he could complain a command rang out from the street.

"Use Dig once again, Eevee!" Mistunari only turned to face the battlefield in time to see the male Warlord's Eevee pop up from underneath his counterpart, sending it flying towards the boy. Mitsunari caught the brown Pokémon in his gauntleted hands, looking straight into its black eyes, only to toss it back onto the field.

The Eevee, or its partner for that matter, did not seem to mind the action and Kazumi ordered the small Pokémon to build off the momentum of the action with a Quick Attack.

* * *

Two robed warriors, each mounted on a Ponyta, were slowly descending the hills overlooking Aurora. As they neared the sleepy hamlet, the one is white was surprised to find most of the citizenry in the center of the village.

"Say Kanbei, what do you think is going on?" The strategist in white wondered.

"A power struggle." the strategist in black replied blandly, showing more interest in the proximity of his Lampent.

"Wouldn't it be a bit too early for that?"

"Emotions can easily ignite tension." Hanbei only sighed, but figured it would be better to not argue.

"Well, why don't we get a closer look?" Kanbei remained silent, only lightly snapping the reins of his mount to go faster. Hanbei did likewise, though much more subtly to not wake his napping Pikachu.

"Quick Attack, Eevee!" both Warlords shouted simultaneously. The two Eevees, each beleaguered from the prolonged fight and the multiple blows they had traded, charged forward for one last attack. The two clashed headfirst, the collision sending both combatants backwards in a pained conclusion.

Both Eevees landed in front of their partners on the dirt road, unmoving and unconscious. Both twins were speechless at the development, and no one, crowd or combatant, save Oichi, noticed Naoshige stand up from the table the four had been sitting at.

"Well, this worked out quite well." that solitary sentence drew the attention of the warlords, two pairs of blue eyes intensely glaring at him with curiosity.

"What?"

"Ah, yes. You see; Lord Sorin stated in his will that he wanted the two of you to try to co-rule Aurora-" the white wearing man was immediately cut off by the duo.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US SOONER!?" Naoshige blanched at the combined fury of Tadashi and Kazumi, but quickly recomposed himself.

"I figured this would happen eventually, so why not let it happen while relatively little damage could have been done rather than later?" Kazumi bit her bottom lip in a silent contemplation, lowering her head in a subtle shame, while her brother only scratched the back of his, the logic behind Naoshige's words starting to sink in.

"I guess we were acting pretty childish, huh?" he said.

"Yeah... and our Pokémon were the ones to pay the price." Kazumi continued. As the two turned to each other, a rather lax voice rang out from the crowd.

"Make way, please! Excuse us." the people in the south parted, letting two mounted warriors through to the Warlords, who immediately turned to face their visitors.

"I guess you were right, Kanbei." the frighteningly pale one on the left only nodded at his beret wearing partner's admission.

"Yes. Now for business. We are-" Hanbei's brown eyes darted from one warlord to the other, and then to the unconscious Pokémon they were holding, and intervened before Kanbei could continue.

"Emissaries from Ignis." both Kanbei and Naoshige raised an eyebrow at his declaration, each for their own reason.

"Odd that Emissaries would show up from the same Kingdom that had sent warriors to attack us only hours before." the white robed Auroran remarked suspiciously.

"Odd indeed..." Kanbei muttered, quiet enough to the point that Hanbei would be the only one to hear. Ignoring his friend's comment, Hanbei tried to respond as best he could

"Um, well... Lord Hideyoshi wanted to test their strength before battling your Warlords himself." Hanbei said with a disarming smile, the now awake Pikachu perched on his head doing the same.

"You may send him our thanks. I'm quite sure he will be able to experience it firsthand soon enough." Naoshige replied, disbelief plastered across his face. Hanbei only nodded and turned his mount away from Aurora, gesturing for an amused Kanbei to follow. As the two strategists took their leave, Tadashi asked the one question that had formed in everyone's mind.

"What was that about?"

* * *

The ride up the hills for the two warriors had been decidedly silent, only the sound of the horseshoes and the occasional Pokémon darting through the grass to keep the duo company. Hanbei was gazing up at the clear skies, his Pikachu napping contently in his lap. Kanbei's Lampent floated close behind, swing to and fro as a breeze picked up through the plain. Kanbei reached back and steadied the Pokémon, before turning to a droopy eyed Hanbei.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" Kanbei asked his mounted compatriot, an eyebrow raised in inquiry once more. Hanbei sighed heavily before giving a reply.

"I dunno, Kanbei; I just don't think it's right to take advantage of someone else's misfortune." Kanbei only shook his head disapprovingly.

"We fight for peace Hanbei, and that takes priority. Even if it means we have to fight dishonorably."

"Maybe showing some mercy is a sign of true strategy. And tact." Kanbei only chuckled lowly in response.

"Believe what you will, but this mishap was your doing regardless."

"I know..." the strategist muttered sullenly. "Hideyoshi won't be happy."

* * *

"Well, this has been an interesting day." Naoshige commented as he held open the door to the castle for the warlords, who were occupied holding their Eevees.

"So what now?" Oichi wondered.

"What do you mean?" Tadashi replied.

"Well... we can't remain passive forever. If we don't do something then Ignis might be able overpower us one day." Oich extrapolated, hesitation evident on her porcelain features. _"Or something far worse..."_

"So we take the battle to them?"

"We'd be at a disadvantage; there are only four of us and we would have to get through any defenses they set up as well." Kazumi pointed out.

"Three, actually. Someone has to look after the castle." the female twin only sighed at Naoshige's observation.

"I agree with Oichi; we have to do something. We should move out tomorrow."

"I'm not so sure brother, the least we can do is wait a few days and train some more."

"Respectfully, my Lady," Oichi started "the longer we wait, the stronger they will get." Kazumi reluctantly nodded in agreement, though took note that she, even if only for a second, seemed to put a barely noticeable emphasis on they.

"I suppose that true."

"Well then, why don't we try to enjoy the rest of the day in peace? I believe I have a deck of cards that haven't been used in a while." everyone's faces brightened at the sound of a card game; something that would get their minds off the rather eventful day.

Hanbei, now in his room and seated at his cluttered desk, sighed heavily. His report to Hideyoshi had gone better than expected, mainly because he convinced them that his actions would lure Aurora into a trap where they could be swiftly and effortlessly defeated, but the Monferno of a man still put him on cleaning duty for a week.

* * *

_"Oh well, I can always just trick Koroku into doing it."_ Hanbei thought while absentmindedly scribbling something down on a piece of paper. He then heard a subtle snap and looked down to see that the pencil he was using had snapped in two from his sloppy handling. He then spun around in his chair, grabbed a replacement from the other side of his desk, and rolled back to where he previously was.

_"And Kanbei said making a chair with wheels would be pointless."_

And, as if on cue, said strategist entered the room that they shared.

"Hideyoshi requests your presence." was all the dark haired strategist said before leaving the room, Hanbei in tow. The walk to the Throne Room from their room only required one to walk down a few stone hallways and turn the occasional corner, and within a minute or two they were standing in front of the massive jade doors. Kanbei knocked on them a few times, the metal of his gauntlets creating a distinctive sound.

"It's unlocked." a cheery voice sounded from the other side. Kanbei pushed the door open and the duo entered. The flames from torches between the marble pillars were the only light in the vast room, illuminating the pathway up to the throne as they danced off the amber walls, creating an eerie and somber atmosphere that belied its occupant.

Said occupant was currently lounging casually on the jade throne, using one armrest as a headrest and hanging his legs over the other, inspecting a gold coin for any blemishes.

"Lord Hideyoshi." Hideyoshi's attention snapped to the two strategists. Tossing aside the coin as if it was worthless, he hopped down from the throne, and faced his right hand men with a cheerful smile.

"Ya know, Hanbei, I've been doin' some thinking; and I think your intellect would be better used in organizing the defense than cleaning." Hanbei's completion considerably brightened at that.

"So does this mean I'm off the hook?"

"Well, I figured you'd just trick Koroku into doing it again, so I cut out the middleman and just gave the chore list to him." Hanbei jokingly pouted, crossing his sleeve covered arms and puffing up his cheeks in a comical manner.

"But that's half the fun..." Hideyoshi only laughed heartily, one hand clutching the cream colored material of his shirt and the other his golden helmet.

"Lord Hideyoshi." Hideyoshi stopped laughing at Kanbei's two word statement.

"Huh? Oh, right. Well, I think there's been enough slacking off today. So get to work you two; I'm trustin' ya." The two strategists bowed and quickly made for the exit to the room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Tadashi asked his brown partner, who was habitually perched on his shoulder.

"Bui." He replied in his usual fashion, fascinated by the rising sun gracing the landscape with a multitude of yellows, oranges and reds that made the scene picturesque. There was little sleep the previous night, but excitement had fueled both of them. Now standing on the balcony that connected to the room he decided to call his, the Co-Warlord was watching the sunrise with his faithful Pokémon.

"So what do you think will happen?"

"Bui Bui..." the small Pokémon replied, lifting up one of its front paws in an attempt to shrug.

"Well, I guess me and Kazumi can come up with something later. Are you excited too?" Eevee chirped an affirmative reply, causing a small grin to appear on the boy's face. He turned back to his sparse room, it used to be a guest room if he recalled correctly, and grabbed his maedate from off the nightstand. After adjusting the large headpiece through his mess of chocolate hair that looked like bedhead, he hastily hurried out of the room. Tadashi quickly darted out of his room and ran down the flight of stairs that led to the lower levels, his Eevee wobbling on its makeshift perch a bit, and when he got to the bottom made a dash for the exit. Along the way he ran through the mess, attracting the attention of Naoshige, who was busy sipping a cup of tea.

"A bit early in the morning for a race, my lord." the man remarked through his cup. Tadashi stopped at his remark and walked back into the dining hall.

"You're up already Naoshige?" his question seemed to elicit a mirthless chuckle from the Auroran.

"I never went to sleep," he answered casually while putting down the ceramic. "But I could ask the same question to you, my lord; I was under the impression young folk liked to sleep in."

"I wanted to get in some training with Eevee before breakfast." Tadashi replied hastily, not in the mood for a prolonged conversation.

"And what are you training for?" the young, tunic clad warlord blinked a few times in confusion. It was clear that he was training for the impending battle with Ignis, but why would Naoshige ask such a blatantly obvious question? Tadashi hesitantly replied.

"To be ready for our battle with Ignis?" Naoshige seemed disappointed with the question, his lips pursing just the slightest.

"And what exactly do you know about Ignis?" the chocolate haired teen raised a hand to his chin, tapping it a few times as he tried to recall everything he knew about the neighboring kingdom.

"Not much really... I only visited it once, and that was years ago with Uncle. It's a Fire Type Kingdom, right?"

"That would be correct. But remember that not all the warriors who came yesterday had Fire Types, and no doubt you will face more. So what do you think you can do to minimize your disadvantage?" That clearly got Tadashi's interest, as he sat down across the wooden table from Naoshige, desperately trying to come up with an answer.

"Besides using Dig a lot, I don't know to be honest." he finally concluded with a sheepish smile, one that his Eevee could only sigh at.

"Fire Types are weak to Rock Types as well Ground and Water, and what is Ignis surrounded by?" before the warlord could reply mountains, he realized what Naoshige was getting at.

"You're saying to use their own terrain against them?"

"Yes. You demonstrated an effective use of it yesterday against your sister, but what about against an army? Using Sand Attack as a smokescreen will not stop overwhelming numbers for long." both Tadashi and Eevee seemed to be perplexed by the man's words, but responded quickly.

"So me and Eevee need to think bigger?" Naoshige nodded, a small smile creeping onto his face as the young warlord was starting to understand.

"Exactly. Eevee may only know one attack that is super-effective against Fire Types, but that should not prevent you from improvising. Letting the terrain do some of the fighting can be surprisingly more devastating than anything a Pokémon can do."

"How would I do that?" the white robed Auroran seemed to hesitate for a moment, considering his question. While one side of Naoshige's mind argued that spoon-feeding the kid everything would only end in disaster, the other side replied that they were in a position precarious enough that he did not have the luxury of withholding information. Ultimately the former won out.

"I'm afraid that each situation is unique to each terrain and conflict, my lord," Naoshige started, managing to give the boy some advice without letting him be complacent in thought. "You will have to look for an opportunity when it arises."

Tadashi frowned a bit at his statement, clearly not satisfied with the answer, but it seemed to have its desired effect as he furrowed his brow in contemplation. "You know Naoshige, for someone who's said he's not a good fighter, you certainly know a lot about fighting." That statement managed to catch the adviser off guard, as he struggled to think of a response, but managed to recompose quickly.

"After Lord Sorin recruited me, I would manage his finances for him, but there were multiple occasion where I got to witness him and his generals train. I learned much from observing one of the most experienced armies in western Ransei. That doesn't necessarily mean I have any sort of talent with battling though." Naoshige then offered a slight smile of his own, before looking out a nearby window.

"It appears we have been talking for a bit longer than I thought," he remarked, the once vibrant colors of the rising sun having shifted into a golden hue that designated morning. "Ah, good morning Lady Kazumi, Lady Oichi."

Tadashi turned around in his seat to see the two females standing in the doorway, Oichi giving him a warm smile and Kazumi preoccupied with straightening her long hair. He returned Oichi's smile while his sister sat down next to him, seemingly satisfied with her attempts to tame the chocolate mess that constituted as her ponytail. Oichi then turned for the kitchen, every motion she made seemingly silent amongst the old wooden structure.

"I suppose an early breakfast would be good before we set out to Ignis." she declared before ducking into a side room, presumably the kitchen. The mention of food made Tadashi realize how hungry he was now, and decided to start talking to his sister while waiting. Naoshige just went back to his now tepid cup of tea, wondering what would happen next.

* * *

"Alllll righty, team!" Hideyoshi shouted to the assembled warriors in the room, numbering about a dozen or so. "Hanbei and Kanbei here," he started, gesturing to the two strategists who stood by a large table with an equally large map spread out on it. "Have come up with a plan to defeat the impending Aurora Army."

"What if they don't come?" a burly, muscular warrior clad in fur spoke out, his voice noticeably gravelly. The cream wearing Warlord spun around, the tattered, orange scarf that hung from his neck flying behind him, and looked at the man as if he had been anticipating that very question.

"It's not like they have anythin' to lose, Koroku, and if they don't come, we'll just go back to Aurora and squish 'em. Now, Hanbei, Kanbei what've ya come up with?" Hideyoshi turned back to face Hanbei and Kanbei, who were busy positioning wooden blocks of various colors across the map. The two strategists snapped to attention at Hideyoshi's question, and Hanbei quickly cleared his throat.

"Of course. So Aurora will probably come from here," Hanbei said, pointing at one of the markers on the map. "So it would be best if we blocked off this pass here and forced them-"

"I was under the impression that we would set up an ambush at this point." Kanbei interrupted, pointing to the place on the map Hanbei had just finished extrapolating about.

"No, we agreed last night that it would be better to lure them into the ambush here." Hanbei retorted.

"We agreed that it would be better to guide them into a trap, not make it obvious." the two then started debating over which way was better, who said what, and completely forgot about their now captive audience. The Monferno-like Warlord sighed at their antics, and merely faced his confused and amused army.

"Okay... Since they seem occupied; Koroku take your men and patrol the mountain passes," Koroku bowed, and walked out of the meeting hall, his two grunts in tow. "Yukinaga, I want you to defend the city. Terzumi, you'll be with me." The remaining warriors bowed and filed out of the room, leaving Hideyoshi alone with the still bickering Hanbei and Kanbei.

"And you two!" he snapped, just loud enough to be heard above their arguing. The two immediately stopped their conversation and faced their leader, only now noticing the room was nearly vacant. "I want the two of you to work with Yukinaga to defend the city." The two strategists then bowed and left the room as well, Hanbei muttering under his breath while Kanbei maintained his usual deadpan.

* * *

As the three Warlords bid farewell to their castle and the middle aged man who would watch over it, three young boys spied on them from their position on a nearby rooftop.

"You know Mitsunari," the silver haired member of the trio said to his friend crouching down beside him. "If Sorin did ever have a hoard of gold, I bet he'd kept it in the castle." Mitsunari was about to say something along the lines how obvious that would be, but quickly shut his mouth at remembering he was the one who believed the deceased Warlord hid his rumored fortune in the hamlet. Noticing his friend's unusual silence, Kiyomasa just decided to continue.

"And with the new warlords away..."

"We can ask politely?" Kiyomasa and Mitsunari both deadpanned at Masanori, neither really surprised that he had said that, but that did not stop Mitsunari from getting irritated.

"Of course we can, you fool," Mitsunari started, his tone reeking of sarcasm. "We can even invite them over for dinner and talk about it over tea."

"But we don't have a house, Mitsunari." Masanori replied, utterly oblivious to the fact he was skating on thin ice. The headdress-wearing kid just tried to control his temper while every molecule in his body cried out for him strangle Masanori. Kiyomasa, seeing Mitsunari's gauntleted hands clenching the air while Masanori looked on idiotically, decided to speak up.

"It looks like those three are gone now, so what's the plan?" knowing he was being addressed, Mitsunari immediately snapped his head in Kiyomasa's direction.

"Well there are only four of them right? Three of them went off to who knows where, so it's not going to be very secure. It should be easy to sneak into the castle, and once we're inside we just have to stay quiet." The two others seemed to agree with his plan.

"Sounds good to me Mitsunari!" Masanori exclaimed loudly before giving Mitsunari a sharp pat on the back. The sudden force startled the boy, the 'hair' of his headdress seeming to react as well by straightening, and he lost his grip on the sloped roof. He clawed desperately at the roof, the golden, metallic tips of his gloves managing to slow his fall by digging into the stucco, but ultimately gravity triumphed. Kiyomasa sighed while Masanori decided to jump off the roof himself.

* * *

"Hmm... This pathway is secure. Onto the next, I guess." Koroku muttered, looking over the thin mountain pass one last time before starting to walk down the path again, his two soldiers and their Pokémon following close behind. Some time after the Ignis forces trotted down a fork in the pass, the Aurora Army appeared down the other side, quickly moving across the rocky face. After coming to a twist in the path that would lead into a descent, Tadashi gazed out at the thriving city below.

"Ready, Eevee?"

"Bui."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hmm... Koroku hasn't reported back yet, has he?" Hideyoshi asked to the warrior standing behind him, who only shook his head in response and replied in the negative. Hideyoshi just furrowed his eyebrows and frowned before adjusting his position in the plush chair on the castle balcony.

"Hey, Chimchar, mind lettin' me use the spyglass?" the small Fire Type, who was perched on the railing and looking through said device, simply tossed it over its orange head to its partner, who quickly caught it before the contraption collided with the wall directly behind him. Looking through the machine, he gazed over the various mountain passes that led to the city of bricks that made up Ignis, while his free hand was occupied with grabbing peanuts from a nearby bowl and stuffing his mouth with them.

"I think you're supposed to break the shells first, sir." At hearing the nearby warrior's advice, the Monferno quickly spat out the food.

"Gah! So that's why they tasted so different!" Hideyoshi then put the telescope back to his eye, his head swinging from one extreme end of the range to another, making nearly everything he saw look like a blur. However, there were a few blurs that managed to catch his attention.

"Hm?" he grunted, quickly readjusting the focus on the spyglass to get a clearer view. After twisting the device for a few seconds, the image finally cleared up enough that he could see three figures, who were definitely not Koroku and his grunts.

"Huh. One more point for Hanbei, I guess." after tossing the golden device back to his partner still perched on the rail, Hideyoshi pulled out a small notebook, which had a pencil stuffed in the binder. Opening it, he deftly pulled out the writing utensil, twirling it between his fingers, before finally jotting down a line underneath a crudely drawn image of Hanbei. He then looked over to the other page which had a crudely drawn version of Kanbei on it, and then at the collective marks underneath both.

"Hanbei's back in the lead..." the warlord muttered as he stuffed the pad back into the pocket of his cream trousers, before standing up and walking over to the edge of the balcony. Leaning over, he started to shout in a voice that would have alerted everyone in the city. "They'll be coming soon!"

Hanbei only rolled his eyes at Hideyoshi's unnecessary loudness while Kanbei started ordering the warriors around them. While said warriors started fanning out around the bridge that lead to the castle, Hanbei's purple eyes lit up as a thought came to his mind.

"You know, Kanbei," the deathly pale warlord turned around, the black that was wrapped around him swinging in the breeze he created. "I'd like to get a feel for these new warlords first hand."

The much taller strategist simply looked down at him with his usual, emotionless and somber stare. "Then go, I will not stop you from foolishly challenging three warlords at once." Hanbei crossed his arms, which were completely obscured by the overly large sleeves of his white coat.

"Don't be like that Kanbei, think of it as a chance to test the waters." Kanbei's eyes narrowed, but he proceeded to let out a sigh.

"Very well. Considering the fact you will rope me into this one way or another, I will play along for now."

* * *

"My lords, it looks like we have company." Oichi warned. Tadashi, who was occupied with scratching his Eevee underneath its chin, immediately snapped up to see the two warriors from the day before approaching. The Aurora Trio stopped as they descended the last section of mountain, letting the two opposing Warlords and their Pokémon cover the rest of the distance. While the dark, brooding one on the left seemed to be far from happy by their presence, the shorter strategist on the right seemed to carry an upbeat atmosphere around him that even his Pikachu radiated.

"Hey there," the on in white greeted with a lazy wave of the hand, which instilled a certain sense of curiosity in the Aurora Army at his friendliness. "I don't think we got off to the best start in Aurora; my name is Hanbei Takenaka, and the obstinate ghost next to me is Kanbei Kuroda."

"A Ghost?" Kazumi asked, the ghostly pale warlord's glare giving a sudden credence to the ludicrous claim. No one noticed a subtle grin form on Hanbei's face.

"Oh yes, but I wouldn't mention that around him, if I were you. He might get angry and posses you."

"I presume you did not just drag me out here to be the butt of your jokes?" Kanbei muttered in a maligned tone that barely masked his irritation, one that Hanbei knew and feared all too well.

"Eh, sorry." the strategist replied swiftly to his counterpart before turning back to the trio.

"Well, long story short, the two of us would like to challenge you three before you march onto Ignis. And seeing as how were currently occupying the pathway, I don't think you have much of a choice." While it was painfully obvious Kanbei was far from happy being present, the fact that he had discreetly motioned for his Lampent to assume a fighting position in front of the two sent the message that there would be a battle regardless.

"Fine. Get ready, Eevee!" Tadashi commanded, extending his arm towards the duo. The fox-like Pokémon perched on the metal protecting his shoulder hopped off of it, then his arm, and onto the earth before them. He was soon joined by his sister's Eevee and Jigglypuff, who established themselves across from the hovering Lampent and a Pikachu letting electricity fly from the red pouches on its cheeks. Hanbei took the initiative.

"Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Pikachu darted from his position with a speed that made it nothing more than a fading blur of yellow, identifiable only by a white streak it left behind in its rush to glory. The Aurora Warlords proceeded to order their Pokémon to dodge; Oichi ordering Jigglypuff to use rollout and the twins each commanding their Eevee's to escape with Quick Attack.

"You shall not avoid us that easily; Fire Spin, Lampent." Lampent immediately started to spew out a vortex of fire, creating a radius of spinning flames around the now entrapped Pokémon and Hanbei's Pikachu, which proceeded to collided with each one in short order. The Electric Type seemingly maintained its momentum with each collision, and each one of the Aurora Pokémon were sent tumbling through the flames, which Lampent quickly ceased creating afterwards.

"Use Helping Hand, quickly Eevee!" the female twin urged her Pokémon. It responded by bounding back to its paws, and reaching out to energize its own counterpart who was straggling back to the field.

"Strike back with Dig!" Tadashi shouted. His Eevee's ears perked up momentarily, before it quickly burrowed into the ground, narrowly avoiding an Ember that had been sent its way by the spectral lamp.

"Quick Attack on Pikachu!"

"Use Rollout on Lampent, Jigglypuff!" Hanbei smirked a bit, which caused a sense of foreboding in the three.

"Let's wrap this up, Pikachu. Thunder Wave!" The sparks that had been flickering on Pikachu's red cheeks suddenly increased exponentially, and were released in one large wave. The arc swept across the field, and momentarily enveloped Eevee and Jigglypuff before causing them to stop in their tracks.

"Fire Spin, Lampent." Lampent started to generate the tornado of fire around the trio's Pokémon once again, entrapping the two paralyzed Pokémon inside the ever decreasing vortex of fire. Tadashi saw the chance he had been waiting for.

"Now, Eevee, launch Pikachu into the flames!" Suddenly the ground gave out underneath a surprised Pikachu, and much to Hanbei's horror, it was sent flying through the air and into the vortex by the super-effective attack.

"Follow up with Bite on Lampent!"

"Double Slap on Pikachu, Jigglypuff!" The sudden attack from the forgotten combatant resulted in the Ghost Type reacting too lethargically, and Eevee clamping its jaws onto the rim of what could only be described as its head. While Lampent spun itself around in a pained frenzy to shake off the normal type, the vortex of fire started to fade away, but not before Pikachu was sent through it after sustaining a wretched beating. Lampent finally managed to shake off Eevee by spinning around in midair like a top, and quickly flew down and scooped up a battered and burnt Pikachu.

"It appears the tide has turned against us. We will not be of much use in the battle if we were to be defeated here; Fire Spin, Lampent!" before anyone could react, Lampent had erected another wall of fire, blocking off the Aurora Warlord and their Pokémon from the Ignis Strategists. What only remained of the two were their silhouettes and voices.

"I was actually enjoying the battle, you know." Hanbei bemoaned.

"You will get to finish it later. Now come." When the flames subsided, both the strategists and their Pokémon had vanished into thin air. Tadashi quickly recovered from the shock, and started rummaging through his satchel. After finding the desired objects, he tossed a few to Oichi and Kazumi, both catching them quickly. Oichi opened her hands and examined the items.

"Berries?" Tadashi nodded, letting his Eevee jump into his arms.

"Yep. Jigglypuff took a bit of a beating back there, and I'm sure there are going to be more warriors than those two." the auburn haired girl gave a gracious bow in return before feeding her gluttonous Pokémon the fruit, one of which happened to be a Cheri Berry. It seemed to instantly recover from paralysis, and Oichi looked up the see the two twins and their partners carrying on to Ignis. She quickly ran after them herself, not taking her eyes off the town as it became larger with each approaching step.

* * *

"RETREATED!?" Hideyoshi shouted at the top his tenor voice, something that caused the soldier behind him to drop the spyglass he was looking through and cover his ears. Realizing that Hideyoshi was staring at him, clearly wanting more information, which the warrior quickly divulged it.

"It would look like they just tried to delay the enemy, or something along the lines of that. Though we may have to pull them from the front lines for a while." Hideyoshi let out a groan, slumped back in the posh chair, and put a hand to his forehead.

"Those two are _supposed_ to be my strategists! What on earth were they thinkin', doing something as reckless as that!?" The soldier behind the fuming Hideyoshi quickly fumbled around for the device he had dropped in his lord's previous outburst, and after getting his hands on it again, quickly reassumed his position of observing the approaching Warlords. As the man recalibrated the device, both occupants of the balcony heard shouting from below. Hideyoshi sprung from his seat and leaned over the edge of the railing with his Chimchar, keen on seeing what the fuss was about.

"All warriors; into position!" Yukinaga shouted from his place on the sole bridge that led to the castle. The various warriors and their Pokémon immediately began to form a ring around the bridge at the sight of the three Warlords approaching.

"Hmm... Looks like things are 'bout to get interesting..." Hideyoshi muttered to his Chimchar, both of whom were leaning dangerously over the ledge. He then saw the first group of warriors, five by his count, advance with their Pokémon. The Warlord of Ignis observed each of them issue off orders to their Fire Type partners, and the Aurora Warlords promptly avoiding each and every attack sent their way.

"Dig on Charmander!"

"Quick Attack on Darumaka, Eevee!"

"Use Rollout on Pansear!" The three simultaneous attacks from each of the Warlord's Partners sent their targets flying, each one landing in an unconscious heap. Seeing this, Yukinaga and his reserves charged out from their position on the bridge.

"Take Down on Jigglypuff, Growlithe!" the commander ordered. The small, canine like Pokémon charged forward headfirst, weaving through the combatants to launch itself upon the Balloon Pokémon.

"Stop Growlithe with Sing, Jigglypuff!" The round, pink Pokémon immediately opened its mouth and started to sing an enchanting tune, emanating a series of colorful musical notes as it continued to Sing on. The notes started to float over to Growlithe, who immediately veered to the right to avoid them.

"Counter it with Roar!" At hearing Yukinaga's order, Growlithe let out a fearsome bellow that not only destroyed the approaching notes, but also knocked back Jigglypuff. Before Jigglypuff had a chance to stop rolling, Growlithe was charging at it once more, jumping over an unconscious Pokémon, and proceeded to dive towards the Normal Type.

"Stop it with Dig!" the street before Jigglypuff quickly became displaced, and Tadashi's Eevee leapt out of a burrow. It quickly crashed into the belly of the surprised Growlithe, who was sent flying in pain.

"Now it's our turn, Eevee. Quick Attack!" Kazumi yelled. Her Eevee quickly shot off after delivering the finishing blow to the last combatant, and collided with the downed Growlithe. It was thrown across the street, and into a few barrels, making no attempt to get up. As Yukinaga quickly recovered his downed Pokémon and fled back into the castle with the rest of Hideyoshi's army, said Monferno sighed despondently at the sight.

"I guess we underestimated them, eh?" the other monkey like being let out a screech in affirmation, before Hideyoshi spun around to the soldier standing guard.

"I want Teruzumi to try to keep them out of the castle as long as possible, and tell Hanbei and Kanbei to meet me in the Throne Room." The soldier quickly bowed and ran back into the structure while Hideyoshi took one last look at the surrounding city of brick buildings, concern evident on his impish face.

"C'mon Chimchar, I'm not gonna be beaten by some rookies. The two of us have worked too hard to get this castle to just go and lose it." His Chimchar nodded and then jumped up on his shoulder, lanky arms wrapped around his orange scarf. The Warlord of Ignis proceeded to jump over the ledge of the balcony, and landed on the parchment of craggy land that separated the castle and bridge with a somersault. The doors to the castle proceeded to open behind him, and Teruzumi and four remaining warriors poured out of them, their partners in tow.

"Hold them off as long as possible, boys!" Hideyoshi shouted, pointing at the Warlords who were crossing the bridge. As the Ignis warriors started issuing attacks to hinder them, Hideyoshi bolted back into the castle, and ran straight for the Throne Room.

* * *

It took longer than Hideyoshi anticipated for the doors to his opulent Throne Room to swing open, though he supposed that was good for him, and the cream wearing warlord could not help but inwardly smile as the members of the Aurora Army and their Pokémon looked absolutely exhausted and liable to collapse at any second.

"Well... I suppose _we,_ " Hideyoshi then made a not so subtle gesture to the two strategists and their tired Pokémon flanking him, while Tadashi just ignored him and started rummaging through his leather satchel that hung near his hip. "made a bit of a mistake by underestimating you. But I can assure you that we won't be making that one again. So, are you rea- Hey, how come your Pokémon look better?"

True to his observation, the Aurora Army's Pokémon appeared to be in better shape than they were a few seconds ago, and far less liable to pass out at any second. Tadashi's near-silver eyes closed for a second, seemingly processing the question before replying in a nonchalant manner. "Oh, I just fed them a few berries while you were busy rambling."

Hideyoshi let out an exacerbated sigh while Hanbei, Kazumi and Oichi started to laugh.

"I think I like this guy." the strategist in white said while adjusting his floppy beret, to which his counterpart could only raise a dark eyebrow in response. Hideyoshi beat Kanbei to the punch, though.

"There'll be time for chit-chat once we've won! Now, prepare to face the might of the Unstoppable, Undefeatable, Indefatigable Hashiba Corps!" The overly long name seemed to solicit some suppressed laughter from the enemy side and Hanbei, while Kanbei maintained his deadpan and Hideyoshi remained blissfully ignorant.

"All right, my lord. Though we'll need to work on the name." Hideyoshi quickly put a hand to his chine, his bottom lip stuck out and eyes faced upwards in contemplation.

"Hmm... I suppose you're right Hanbei. We need _more_ adjectives!" Hanbei only let out a mirthless smile at his boss' helplessness.

"I don't want to be rude, but I _would_ like to get back to Aurora before lunchtime." Kazumi said in a slightly condescending tone. Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow in confusion, at first unsure of which member of the triad before him had said that, but quickly managed to single out the female twin.

"I'd be insulted if I wasn't too distracted by your pretty face." he jabbed back, though it was clear it was also a shameless overture. While Kazumi did not know exactly how to react to that, taking a step back in pure shock from his bluntness and raising a hand to her face in order to hide a faint blush, Tadashi gritted his teeth and took an aggressive step forward.

"You're asking for it, Monferno..."

"Monferno?" Hideyoshi looked down to his Chimchar, clearly confused over the insult, and was completely taken off guard when Tadashi's Eevee crashed into his partner with a Quick Attack. Following that and a quick retreat before Chimchar could retaliate, complete and utter chaos broke out, but Kanbei still managed to chide his hapless leader before issuing an order.

"Perhaps you should be a little more careful of who you flirt with, Lord Hideyoshi. Stop their insolent charge with Fire Spin, Lampent."

"Ember on Eevee!" Hideyoshi ordered his Chimchar before turning to Kanbei. "I didn't know he'd react that way! Besides, I don't pay you to lecture me!"

"You don't pay us at all. Thunder Wave, Pikachu." Hanbei interjected. The wall of fire that Kanbei's Lampent had erected managed to stop the charging Normal Types, which was then followed by the wave of paralyzing electricity which passed through the barrier of flames and headed towards the Aurora Pokémon.

"Use Dig to avoid it, Eevee!" Tadashi's Eevee immediately started to burrow through the floors of the room expertly, creating a disheveled mess around the hole, which Jigglypuff and the other Eevee promptly jumped into as well. They escaped not a moment to soon, as the wave of electricity passed harmlessly over the foxhole the three were in.

"Drive them out with Ember, Chimchar!" Before any of the Aurora Warlords could issue a command to counter, the head of Hideyoshi's small partner peered into the hole, and it immediately launched a barraged of small flames at its occupants. The Pokémon immediately bolted out of the den, and Hanbei decided to follow up on their vulnerability.

"Now, Pikachu; Use Electro Ball!" Pikachu charged forward, jumped upwards with a spin, and shot a large ball of yellow electricity at the three downed Pokémon. They barely had time to react before it came crashing into the ground before them, launching all three backwards. The three Pokémon straggled back to the field in time for Hanbei and Kanbei to each issue another order.

"Thunder Wave again!"

"Use Confuse Ray on all three, Lampent." The three warlords of Aurora visibly flinched at the Ignis Strategists commands. One status aliment alone was bad enough, but two at the same time would be disastrous.

"Use the pillars as cover, Jigglypuff!" The Aurora Twins did not have the time to fully process the logic behind Oichi's command, but they quickly ordered their Pokémon to do the same. Whatever the pillars were made out of, they seemed to absorb the electricity that passed through it harmlessly, while the eerie lights that Kanbei's Lampent had emitted dissipated before they managed to get to their intended targets.

"Hm... So they do have some strategic aptitude. It is of no consequence though, flush them out with Astonish, Lampent." Kanbei said, before pointing to the pillar that happened to be closest to the Ignis Army, and the one that Kazumi's Eevee had jumped behind.

"Astonish? Why use a Ghost Type move on a Normal Type?" Kazumi wondered, to which her brother shrugged his metal-clad shoulders.

"I'm not sure, but be ready," he started, before whispering another command in a voice low enough that only his Eevee could hear due to their link. "Use Dig, Eevee. Attack on my command." The small normal type, which happened to be behind the pillar closest to their army, nodded.

"Bui." It then started to dig another tunnel, and was out of sight within seconds. The three then heard a shriek that was identifiable as coming from Kazumi's Eevee, and looked over to see that Lampent had simply phased through the pillar and taken it completely by surprise. The result was Eevee jumping out from its cover, something which Hideyoshi and Hanbei quickly took advantage of.

"Fury Swipes, Chimchar! Now's the time!"

"Let's wrap this one up quickly, Pikachu. Quick Attack." Both Pokémon bolted towards the cowering Eevee, who was still too shaken from Lampent's Astonish to mount a defense. Said Ghost Type reappeared through the column, and both Oichi and Tadashi saw the opportunity they were looking for.

"Jigglypuff, Use Rollout on Lampent!"

"Now Eevee, stop them!" Jigglypuff shot out from behind the green pillar it was hiding behind, and sped across the marble floors before launching itself off the ground and slamming into Lampent, repeatedly spinning in place and pushing it into the column. The three Ignis Warlords were distracted long enough to not notice that the ground before the two charging Pokémon had become fractured.

The Ignis Warlords were finally shaken out of their short reverie when Eevee came bursting out from beneath their Pokémon, the combined force of its attack and the bits and pieces of marble and dirt that were launched with Eevee's charge sent both Pokémon flying backwards. Chimchar managed to get back to his paws quickly, but Pikachu had a tougher time of standing back up after all the punishment it had received. Jigglypuff finally relented, giving Lampent enough time to sulk back to Kanbei's side, and Kazumi's Eevee ran back over to their side, reforming a line against the exhausted Ignis Army, despite their own exhaustion.

Hideyoshi was about to say something when the doors to the Throne Room swung open again, and a burly warrior clad in fur clothing charged in with two grunts behind him. "I'm sorry we took so long my Lord!" He quickly shouted. Hideyoshi's face visibly brightened at the sign of him.

"Koroku! I'd never thought I'd be glad to see you!" Hideyoshi blurted out, while Hanbei facepalmed. After removing his hand from his forehead, Hanbei's purple eyes observed the Aurora Warlords and their Pokémon were distracted by Koroku's sudden appearance, and a devious thought immediately formed itself in his head.

"Thunder Wave!" the attack was too sudden to avoid this time, and by the time everyone had spun around, the wave of electricity had just enveloped the Aurora Warlord's Pokémon, rendering them immobilized. Seizing their momentum, the now doubled Army of Ignis started to form a circle around the Aurora Army, like a Liepard eyeing its prey before striking. Tadashi desperately looked around for anything that would tip the balance of power back in their favor, and saw his one chance. The pillar that Jigglypuff had rammed Lampent into looked like it would fall apart at any minute, as the small cracks that had appeared previously had now started to spread, creating a vein like appearance on the crumbling jade.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack on the pillar!" While everyone looked at him like he had gone crazy, his Eevee trusted his judgment enough to muster up the last of its strength and charge. Before any of the Ignis Warriors could react, it slammed into the supporting construct and managed to knock out a large portion of it. Without the support beam, a section of the ceiling above started to give out, and collapsed right after everyone had managed to get out of the way of the debris. After having tossed himself towards his now unconscious Eevee, forcing the two other teens to follow, Tadashi poked his head up from behind a piece of rubble to survey the damage, but was quickly pulled back down by his sister, who pushed him up against the debris.

"Are you CRAZY!? You could have gotten us killed!" Kazumi shouted at her brother, who could only offer up an apologetic and sheepish smile.

"I- I guess I went a bit too far." his sister's eyes contained a barely controlled rage that sent shivers down his spine and made Oichi scoot away a few inches. She could tell heads were about to roll.

"A BIT!? You-" before she could finish Tadashi finally managed to worm his way out of his twin's iron grip and had directed her gaze to the regrouping Ignis Army. Hanbei was laying down on a large slab of rock, stroking his unconscious Pikachu who was splayed out across his armor covered chest, while Kanbei was cradling his unconscious partner in his arms, a look of subtle concern plastered on his face. Hideyoshi looked like he was about to blow a fuse, while his barely conscious Chimchar had its lanky arms wrapped around his scarf. It was clear that Koroku and his grunts had been to late to withdraw their Pokémon, and the burly man's Bidoof was the only one that looked to be in fighting shape. In short, it was clear that all the Ignis Pokémon were either unconscious or struggling to stay conscious.

Their side was not spared from the fatigue of all the fighting either. Tadashi's Eevee was unconscious, having numerous bruises and scrapes, and Kazumi's Eevee and Oichi's Jigglypuff looked absolutely exhausted from everything they had endured. Despite the various thoughts that were running through the heads of everyone in the room, one thing was clear to all of them; there would be no winner today. The Monferno like Warlord then let out a heavy sigh, before turning back to the rubble he knew the Aurorans were hiding behind.

"You can come out, I won't attack ya." Tadashi was the first to come out, looking as if he was saturated with guilt.

"Listen Hideyoshi, I'm sorry abo-"

"Well you should be!" The Warlord thundered, causing the other leader to take a step back in shock. "And I'll be sending ya the bill for the renovations, too!" Hanbei rolled his purple eyes, lifting his head upwards to face towards the two.

"C'mon Lord Hideyoshi, at least acknowledge that it was a good battle." Hideyoshi quickly calmed down and a adopted a very sheepish expression at how easily his strategist could read him.

"Well... I guess it was pretty tense," he conceded, before turning back to Tadashi. "You're not half bad for a beginner, so we'll just call this a draw. For now."

"We should probably get going now," Kazumi said, having now joined her brother along with Oichi. "Again, I'd like to apologize for my brother's actions." Hideyoshi's face seemed to light up at the sight of her.

"Aw, it's nothing Miss-"

"Kazumi."

"Kazumi," Hideyoshi muttered to himself. "What a beautiful name." After he said that, Tadashi quickly grabbed his twin sister's arm and spun around, "accidentally" slamming his metallic boot onto Hideyoshi's foot. He couldn't help but smile as the Moferno cried out and started hopping around on one foot.

* * *

Naoshige sat behind his wooden desk, engaged in conversation with one of the local farmers who was sitting across from him.

"Didn't I give you a loan for a new plow a few weeks ago? What happened to that?" The farmer could only smile sheepishly and scratch the back of his head underneath his wicker hat.

"It broke." Naoshige sighed, placing his face in his hands.

"Very well, I will give you _one_ more loan. But please take better care of your equipment." The farmer seemed elated, and Naoshige got up to go get the required sum from the treasury, leaving the farmer to fill out the paperwork he had handed him before leaving. Moments after the man had finished jotting down his name in barely legible handwriting on the sheet of parchment, a scream ran out through the castle. The man bolted from his chair and ran in the direction he heard the yell come from, only to find Naoshige gaping at a nearly empty room.

"We've been robbed!"


	5. Chapter 5

Amongst the poisonous bogs and dead trees that infested the countryside of Viperia, a massive panoply of warriors in various blues, blacks and purples marched down the single dirt road that twisted through the sparsely-populated kingdom. A dark Pokémon of large proportions, one that's arms were seemingly heads, hovered at the forefront of the mass. The six black wings of the Dragon Type were lazily flapping, supporting its own weight and that of its armor encased partner with minimal effort. Said conqueror was gazing out disinterestedly at the surroundings from his standing position on Hydreigon's hide, though it was clear to the more attentive of his followers that he was putting on a façade for the Viperian scouts they all knew were lurking nearby.

Nobunaga's head darted back as he heard someone dropping to the ground, only to see Ieyasu's ninja giving a report to the portly man. The Warlord of Valora gave a silent nod to the silent man, and the massive blade that protruded from the top of his helmet come dangerously close to hitting the ninja over the head. Hanzo bowed to his lord once again and promptly vanished without any fanfare, and the Steel Type user turned to the man encased in purple and black.

"My lord, it would appear that the bogs up ahead are particularly thick to the point of being noxious. They would be the perfect place for an enemy ambush." Nobunaga still seemed disinterested, but replied as he turned back to the front.

"How long would it take for you too clear it out?"

"A day, my lord, given the right circumstances. Alternatively; we could dig a few levees and divert some of it within a fraction of the time."

"Do so." Iyeasu bowed in response and motioned for many of his soldiers to follow him with a handful of metallic tools, but Mitsuhide stepped forward before they could.

"Are you sure this is the wisest course of action, My lord? If the bogs are as bad as Ieyasu's ninja reported, then we risk incapacitating a large portion of our forces. It might be better to simply march around." Ieyasu seemed to take offense at his objection, while Nobunaga only raised an eyebrow in response, though never turned around.

"Mitsuhide, are you implying that me and my men lack the resilience to carry out our lord's diction?"

"I am not implying anything, Ieyasu. I am concerned about the integrity of this army."

"Then you should let Nobunaga's commands go unhindered, Mitsuhide." both Warlords snapped to attention at the Demon King's statement, the Ice Type Warlord having chills running down his spine.

"But-"

"The longer you observe the details, Mitsuhide, the more you miss sight of the grand scheme." the Warlord of Dragnor then tapped his heels on Hydreigon's sides and beckoned the behemoth forward, with the rest of the army save Ieyasu's men and Mitsuhide beginning to follow. The Warlord of Nixtorm sighed and looked at his Lapras, who could only give him a sympathetic stare.

_"What if you look at the big picture so much, you lose sight of the details?"_ the man then felt a gentle nudging against his arm, and looked to his side to see the Transport Pokémon beckoning for hit to move before he was left behind. The man gave a gentle pat on his Partner's head before heeding its advice.

* * *

The Aurora Trio, as the Ignis Army had dubbed them since army would be a generous term, had departed Ignis hours ago and were on their way back to their home kingdom. Late morning had transitioned into mid-afternoon, and many of the gloom clouds that had hung over the Fire Type kingdom had parted, casting a golden hue on the damaged castle and surrounding city.

Since Hideyoshi was still fuming from the fact that three novices had managed to push his army to the brink of defeat, and the fact that his strategists had failed in their principle duty to come up with any coordinated strategy, Hanbei had decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to take a catnap on the sloped roof of the castle. The strategist in white was napping peacefully on the panels, his eyes closed and a small smile spread out on his face while Pikachu rested on his chest.

Hanbei was shaken out of his nap when he noticed that the area had become considerably darker, and edged a purple eye open to see Kanbei standing over him, the shadow of the deathly pale being covering the strategist.

"Any reason you're standing above me? I thought if you went out during daytime you'd burn up." Kanbei rolled his eyes before sitting down.

"Amusing. And I was under the impression that you were witty." Surprisingly Kanbei said nothing after that, simply looking down on the city below. Hanbei sat up and crossed his legs, gazing at his counterpart for a few seconds while Pikachu scampered away.

"So _why_ are you here? Hideyoshi giving you too much flak?" the edges of Kanbei's lips quivered for a split second, a suppressed reaction Hanbei barely detected, and the ghost strategist turned his head slightly in the opposite direction.

"I cannot blame our lord, given the circumstances."

"It was just dumb luck." Kanbei turned back to the narcoleptic, clearly dissatisfied with his response.

"Just as it was 'dumb luck' that Koroku and his grunts managed to return when they did?" Hanbei smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Maybe we got a bit cocky. But I bet Lord Hideyoshi learned a few things from this, so it's not a total loss." Kanbei stood up and turned back to the door he had emerged from, but Hanbei lazily tugged at the hem of his black robes before he could leave. Kanbei turned around once more, both curiosity and annoyance written on his face.

"If you came up here to find out why we didn't win, it's because we failed to work together." Hanbei swore he heard the darker strategist let out a genuine chuckle, as if he found his observation to be humorous.

"I'm serious Kanbei!" Hanbei said assertively, which managed to get the other strategist's attention. "I know we like to compete to see who can come up with a better strategy, but if we want to get anywhere we're going to have to cooperate on some level."

"A lack of competition will allow for our strategies to stagnate. We would become complacent and dependent on one another." Kanbei seemed to detest uttering the last sentence, as a look of mild disgust spread across his white face.

"But if we don't work together at all, we would become divided and weak. That's why we work together in the first place; we each cover our weak points." Kanbei shook his head and strode away quickly, having deemed the conversation to be irrelevant and over. Hanbei sighed remorsefully and lied back down.

"I just need to have patience," he began to mutter to himself while closing his eyes again. "He'll come around one day."

* * *

Naoshige buried his head in his hands, perhaps out of frustration, perhaps out of humiliation. Most likely out of both. Regardless, the man had inspected both the locks to the castle gates, the keep and the vault to find they had all been picked, though that gave him little comfort. He doubted his day would get any better when the twins got back and saw that their inheritance had disappeared.

_"Methinks they might not have to."_ a voice whispered in the back of his head. _"After all, you never got the chance to tell them about it. You could delay it long enough to catch the thieves."_

But before the other voice could speak up and counter as he anticipated, the Auroran saw three figures on the horizon that shook him out of his reverie. He stood up from the stone steps to the gates and waved to the three, trying his best to remain composed.

"Back so soon?" he asked, taking notice of their barely conscious partners they were holding. Kazumi nodded in response, her brown bangs swaying back and forth as a result.

"Yep. I'm actually a bit surprised we did as well as we did, but brother might have gone a bit too far." the girl stole a sideways glance at her counterpart, who only turned his head to the side in response.

"I get it! I won't try anything like that again!" he responded rather harshly, though a small glance towards his unconscious partner reaffirmed his guilt.

"I'm sorry we have to ask about this out of the blue, Naoshige, but do we have any gold set aside?" Naoshige tried to offer a reaffirming smile, though it ended up only making him look nervous. As he began to reply, his hand subconsciously scratched the nape of his neck. While the warlords seemed confused by his sudden behavior, Oichi had been around him long enough to notice his tell and silently pleaded with him to just tell the truth. He acquiesced with a sigh.

"Well, we did have quiet a bit set aside."

"Did?" all three asked simultaneously.

"Yes, up until a few hours ago."

"We were robbed!?" Oichi uttered, reeling back in shock. The reactions of Tadashi and Kazumi were similar, and Naoshige couldn't help but feel even more guilty.

"I'm afraid so. It was my fault for not being vigilant, my lord, my lady, and I accept whatever punish-"

"Don't be like that, Naoshige." Kazumi chided, interrupting the repentant man's apology. "There was only one of you, and who knows how many bandits? Things might have been far worse if you tried to stop them, and right now I think we need everyone we can get."

"I never thought I would say this; but Kazumi is right," Tadashi teased, earning him a half-hearted punch to the arm. "Naoshige, Oichi. Can the two of you look over the castle for any clues while me and Kazumi investigate around town?"

"Of course. I think the best place to look would be the vault itself." the twins gave the man a nod, and started to walk in the direction of town while Naoshige and Oichi turned back to the castle.

* * *

After a quick stop at the local Ponigiri shop for their Eevees, the two warlords had started to wander around the sleepy hamlet and stopped anyone they could. While all the townsfolk and farmers they had talked to proved to be dead ends, a traveling merchant with a incredibly large backpack they had stopped proved to provide a different answer.

"I heard a lot of commotion coming from other there." the man pointed, his finger aiming at a shop near the edge of the town. The duo quickly ran in the direction he had pointed in, and soon found themselves in front of a ransacked shop. The owner, who was moping around inside over his lost merchandise, perked up at the sight of them.

"What happened here?" the girl asked.

"I got robbed! Those three just stormed in and-"

"Two thefts in one day? These are probably the guys we're looking for." Tadashi whispered to his sister, before interrupting the shopkeeper's exposition. "Which way did they go?"

"They mentioned something about a hideout near a ravine. The only one I can think of is the one on the outskirts of town near the woods."

"Thanks." Kazumi said with a curt nod before running out of the shop, brother in tow. "If we hurry, we might be able to catch them by surprise!"

After the twins had ran out of the wooden hamlet, towards their before-mentioned destination, three figures who had watched the whole ordeal from the shadows of a nearby alleyway began to converse amongst themselves.

"Are you sure paying those goons to rob that store was a good idea, Mitsunari? What if-"

"Please, Kiyomasa, this is foolproof," both turned back to the third member of their group, expecting him to say or do something idiotic. Surprisingly he did nothing, and Mitsunari just turned back to Kiyomasa. "Their Eevees are probably exhausted from the battle earlier, and even if those bandits lose they'll will still buy us enough time to escape unnoticed. I doubt they'll even know who to look for."

"I hope you're right, Mitsunari. Because we'll be in for it if you're not..."

* * *

"Hm..." Naoshige grumbled as he examined the tuft of snow white hair he held in his hand. True to his suggestion, he and Oichi immediately started looking over the vault for anything the thieves might have dropped or left behind, but all he had managed to find so far was a clump of hair. The clerk's black eyes glossed over the specimen as if he was a scientist examining a slide, looking for any sort of detail that might indicate who or what it belonged to.

"You found something, Mr. Nabeshima?" Naoshige turned around as Oichi approached him from the side of the room she had decided to look over. He nodded to her and held up the tuft of hair.

"It doesn't appear to be human. The only conclusion I can come up with is that it came from a Pokémon who accompanied the thieves." Oichi then took it from Naoshige's grip and started twirling it between he finger and thumb, observing it intently.

"I think I've seen this before..." she muttered, her mind wandering back to the battle between the two warlords two days prior. The girl remembered observing the fight intently, not necessarily knowing who to root for, and watching as Kazumi's Eevee took a Dig to the gut and was promptly launched into the crowd, only to be caught by an young boy. She did not remember much of him, simply that he tossed the Pokémon back onto the field, but one detail that stuck out to her was his headdress, which was covered in white hair.

Oichi's brown eyes grew wide in shock at the implications of what she had just remember, initially refusing to believe that a child had pulled off a heist like this. Naoshige, who had been watching her the entire time, took notice of her sudden shock.

"Do you know who that belongs to?" Oichi nodded hesitantly.

* * *

The twins had managed to find the ravine relatively quickly, and discovered a cave that had been transformed into a living space of sorts. Needless to say, the three bandits inside were less than pleased by their appearance.

"Helping Hand!"

"Attack with Bite, Eevee!" The two Evolution Pokémon worked in sync against the Bandit's Pokémon; Tadashi's Eevee clamping it's jaws down on one of the Bandit's charging Ekans, before turning around and using Sand Attack as a screen for its counterpart.

"Use Quick Attack!" the female ordered.

"Stop those runts with a Posion Sting, Ekans!"

"It's still around? Finish it off with another Bite, Eevee." Kazumi's Eevee charged into the cloud of dust that had blinded the bandit's other Pokémon, and Tadashi's Eevee deftly dodged each of the poisonous stingers before clamping onto the snake Pokémon's head. The normal type then ricocheted off the Poison Type, which promptly fell to the floor. Tadashi turned his attention back to the cloud of dust that was beginning to settle, and witnessed a Petilil and Bidoof both get launched out of the storm. The three bandits, all of whom looked equally gruff, imposing, and dim-witted, were at a loss for words given how quickly their Pokémon were dispatched.

"Now, give us back what you stole!" Kazumi shouted, her hand balling up into a fist. The criminals each exchanged glances, before one of them reached for a small leather pouch that hung from his belt.

"Fine, take it." the man's gravely voice echoed out with a toss of the bag. Tadashi managed to catch it with a dive to the right, as the man's aim was atrocious. After brushing off some of the dirt that had collected on his white sleeve, he looked down at the pouch of coins.

"We mean all of it!"

"Whaddya yammering about? We only robbed one store today!" one of the thieves retorted.

"Don't play stupid; there was a break in at our castle and someone made off with most of our money." After having looked around the room while Tadashi and the unnamed ruffians went back and forth, and saw no sign of any loot whatsoever, Kazumi tugged on her brother's shoulder and began to whisper into his ear.

"I don't think they're pretending, Tadashi. They don't really look like the type that would pick a lock, let alone be able to hide so much money in such a short amount of time." the warlord calmed down and looked around the room again, trying to find any indication that his sister was wrong.

"Break in? Maybe that's why those kids had so much money. I knew we should've robbed them instead." one of the underlings said to the leader, who promptly spun around and hit him over the head. The two warlords suddenly became very interested in the scene unfolding before them.

"There you go blabbing again, you moron!"

"What kids?"

"Yeah," the same minion who had spoken up seconds before continued. "Some kids just came up to us and said they'd pay us a lot if we robbed a store or sometin'. From the looks of things, they were loaded too." the warlords were taken aback by the revelation, Kazumi bringing up a hand to cover her mouth while Tadashi just blanched. The duo overcame the sudden shock, and quickly turned to leave the cave with their partners in tow.

After getting back into town and returning the money to the shopkeeper, the two twins happened to stumble upon Naoshige and Oichi. Both sides related the facts that they had collected to each other, and came to the same horrifying conclusion that a group of street urchins had managed to sneak into the castle and make off with a fortune. While Tadashi began to storm off, declaring he would find them, Oichi pointed out the biggest flaw in his plan;

"Do we even have an idea where they might be hiding?" the three teens honestly expected a dead silence, but Naoshige put a hand to his chin.

"Actually, yes. I think I might know somewhere they could be hiding in." the Auroran then turned and beckoned for the other three to follow. A short walk ensued, and the Aurora Army found themselves in front of a ramshackle old building, that clearly used to be an inn based on the faded figures on the sign that hung from the door. No one asked why this would be Naoshige's guess, mainly because no one could come up with anything better. The male twin swiftly took off his golden meadate, his already messy chocolate hair becoming even more disheveled in the process, and edged close to a broken window, quickly stealing a glance before turning back to his friends.

"There's definitely something in there," Tadashi extrapolated as he put back his headpiece. He then motioned for his Eevee to jump off his shoulder, and pointed at the rickety wooden door.

* * *

"We need to leave soon, Mitsunari." the green wearing member of the trio said to his friend, who was busying pacing back and forth in a rather vacant area of the room.

"I know that! But I think if we try to leave town carrying a bunch of jingling sacks with gold coins falling out of them, then we might draw a _bit_ of attention!" the kid in red snapped back before quickly returning to his mutter-filled pacing. "If only we had a cart or something..."

Kiyomasa seemed unaffected by his outburst and just stretched out in the old, decrepit chair he was sitting in.

"Wasn't that how we got them in here in the first place?" Masanori asked. Kiyomasa replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"I don't know, the previous chapter wasn't very clear on that." Before Masanori could question any further, a very loud command rang out from the other side of the flimsy, wooden door.

"QUICK ATTACK, EEVEE!" Mitsunari barely had time to dive out of the way as the door was blown out of its hinges and across the room. Kiyomasa shot out of his seat in shock, and Masanori started to panic.

"It's the fuzz!" he shouted before promptly running over his silver haired friend.

"Subtle, brother." Kazumi muttered as the four walked into the room. Mitsunari started to mutter under his breath but managed to quickly get back on his feet. He simply looked at the four warriors that had entered the room, and quickly turned tail and bolted.

"Quit goofing off you fools, I'm not about to let any of us get caught without a fight!" Mitsunari exclaimed as he grabbed his downed friends by their collars, somehow managing to drag them away while maintaining the same breakneck pace as before.

"Stop!" both Tadashi and Kazumi shouted before running after the trio, who had fled through a back door. They quickly found themselves back into Aurora's somewhat busy streets, which made it very difficult for the kids to blend in with a crowd. They were quickly spotted, and the two warlords began the chase again. After pursuing the three through a variety of alleys, roads and buildings, with the trio before them being seemingly inexhausable, Tadashi finally saw something that could end this.

"Keiji! Stop them!" he shouted out to the massive warrior who happened to be walking right in the middle of the urchin's path. The three barely had time to register the burly man in front of them before they collided face first. Keiji bent over and picked up the downed Mitsunari by the collar, the latter thrashing about in an attempt to escape the giant's grip. The Warlord twins managed to finally catch up, with Kazumi nearly collapsing from exhaustion and Tadashi grasping for air. Their Eevees took it upon themselves to ensure that the other two wouldn't try to escape.

"Heh," Keiji muttered. "You're knida adorable, tryin' to escape like that." Mitsunari stopped resisting for a moment to try to give him the most intimidating glare he could muster.

"I am _not_ adorable!" he shouted, before trying to kick his way out of Keiji's grip. Said warrior just laughed heartily and dropped Mitsunari, the impact knocking off his headdress.

"Thanks..." Tadashi managed to wheeze out between breaths.

"No problem!" Keiji replied energetically before looking down at the three kids. "So, any reason you're chasin' a couple of urchins 'round Aurora?"

"They're... thieves." The wild man raised a golden eyebrow at that.

"You want me and Bastiodon here to take 'em back to the castle for ya?" Tadashi managed to let out a nod. Keiji just scooped up Mitsunari again and slung him over his shoulder like a rag doll, while Bastiodon sauntered over and nudged the over two, silently commanding them to walk.

* * *

After everything the trio had stole was returned, the three were ushered into the throne room. Another chair had been placed down adjacent to the throne itself, which the warlords occupied. Keiji casually leaned on the doorpost to the exit, blocking it, while Naoshige and Oichi sat off in the chairs to the side. Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori had been brought to stand in the center of the room, and the massive amount of attention they were receiving was making them more than nervous. This tense silence continued for a few more seconds before Kazumi decided to speak up.

"Why?" it was a one word question, simple and straightforward, but it still seemed to illicit hesitation amongst the trio in front of them. All of them looked at the ground, though whether they felt guilty over stealing or getting caught was unknown. Finally Kiyomasa decided to speak up after clearing his throat.

"We... well, we're homeless. We don't have anything, and we got tired of sleeping on the streets." everyone in the room seemed taken aback by his honesty, particularly the female warlord, but Tadashi seemed to be less sympathetic than his sister.

"So you stole everything we had?"

"At least you still had a roof over your head..." Mitsunari grumbled, which quickly earned him a harsh glare from Kiyomasa.

_"Not if we couldn't pay that Monferno back in Ignis and he decided to take our castle instead."_ was the retort that ran through the twin's head, but before he could say anything his sister took the initiative.

"Then why don't you join our army?" every pair of eyes was suddenly fixed on Kazumi.

"Are you mad? They just-" Tadashi was cut off by a glare from his twin that made him immediately reconsider what he was about to say next.

"In case if you didn't notice lady," Mitsunari started. "We don't have any Pokémon. What good would we be?"

"You might be able to link with some if you join us. Besides, we need warriors and you need a place to live, so this will be beneficial for both of us." The three kids in the middle of the wooden room stared back at her in shock, simply failing to believe that someone would be this generous. The quickly started whispering amongst themselves, having formed a crude circle, but it was over within a few seconds.

"I don't think any of us can refuse. Thank you, thank you very much." Kiyomasa said with a sudden serenity to his voice that belied his gratitude. The other members of the Aurora Army did not necessarily know what to think of the scene, but Keiji just kept up his happy demeanour before leaving unnoticed.


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks had passed since the trio had joined the Aurora Army, and life carried on as usual without any sudden or unexpected occurrences. They trained, explored, and Hideyoshi sent the bill for the repairs sometime in between, and life settled into a peaceful, if not mundane, normality. But they all knew on some level that they would have to take to the offensive eventually if Aurora were to remain independent.

_"Attacking Ignis again with our current numbers is out of the question, not even Hideyoshi would be stupid enough to make the same mistakes twice."_ Tadashi mentally analyzed as he walked down the wooden passage, no particular destination in mind. His Eevee glanced over at him from it's perch on his pauldron, clearly worried about his partner's confounded look. The Warlord simply scratched it behind its pointed ear to reassure it, a subconscious reaction he had whenever he felt his Pokémon becoming nervous via their link, and carried onwards.

_"But if we just sit here and train, Hideyoshi will come in full force. We'd have time to set up a few defenses, but he'd still have numbers on his side. We could always try to attack another kingdom, but that would have the consequences of leaving Aurora defenseless."_ Tadashi let out a sigh and ran a hand through his already messy hair, and then realized he had wondered onto the balcony. Feeling a headache coming on, he simply slumped down into a nearby chair and put a hand to his head. _"Argh! Being a Warlord is a lot harder than I first imagined."_

"Bui?" his Eevee, who had now jumped off his shoulders and was sitting at his feet, questioned. From the way he tilted his small head, and looked at him, anyone could tell it was concerned for the teen. Tadashi just offered a reassuring smile at the Evolution Pokémon.

"I'm fine, Eevee. I guess I just have a lot on my plate." the Walord in white said as he leaned over to pet its head.

"My lord?" the teen's head turned to the direction where the feminine voice came from, the doorway, and saw Oichi standing there with her Jigglypuff. "Are you okay? You look a bit faint."

_"Faint?"_ Tadashi though to himself. _"Now that I think about it, I guess I missed breakfast. And dinner. Maybe some food will help."_ His stomach seemed to agree, as it decided now would be the perfect time to let out a growl.

"I suppose I could go for an early lunch," he said as he approached the Oichi and the doorway, his Eevee bounding to its paws as he stood. "I'm buying."

* * *

The two had sat down at a table after getting their food, and Oichi listened patiently to Tadashi when he relayed the details of his dilemma while scarfing down his food.

"Have you thought about trying to attack another Kingdom, My Lord?" she offered, which was met with a curt nod, being as the chocolate haired teen across from her was busy wolfing down the last of his enormous lunch. After he finally finished, he set aside the empty bowls before addressing her.

"Yes. But that would leave us vulnerable to Ignis." Tadashi replied with a sigh, slightly tensing at the thought of losing Aurora.

"Lord Tadashi," she began. "What would happen if we just stayed here, paralyzed by fear?"

Her question seemed to get the Warlord's undivided attention, and he stayed silent for a few minutes trying to come up with an answer. "I suppose we would still lose Aurora. But even then, another botched invasion of one of the surrounding Kingdoms could create even more enemies."

"Or they could come regardless. Nothing you did caused Hideyoshi to invade Aurora, did it? War will come to Aurora one way or another, My Lord, it's simply a fact of the times we live in." Tadashi reluctantly nodded, agreeing with Oichi's reasoning.

"So where would you suggest we attack?" Oichi folded her hands and looked downwards, clearly trying to formulate a solution.

"Well, Aurora is surrounded by Ignis, Greenleaf and Fontaine. I don't think Ignis would be the best choice right now, given Hideyoshi's tacticians and his numbers, not to mention the fact that Mitsunari's new Pawniward is weak to Fire Types, and Fontaine would be incredibly difficult to attack."

"How so?"

"Fontaine is protected by swamplands and rivers. The Fontainians don't have to do much other than use the terrain to win a battle." Tadashi nodded, clearly a bit skeptical about her claims, and Oichi continued. "Which will probably leave Greenleaf as our best bet for an attack. But..."

"But?"

"Well, I've heard that Greenleaf is ruled by a ruthless strategist named Motonari; someone whose brilliance is on par with Shingen and Kenshin."

"I've heard about him before. He used to be Uncle's rival, defeating him at every turn but never going on the offensive." Tadashi mused, his eyes containing a certain eagerness at the thought of being able to defeat his predecessor's rival. Oichi seemed to be a bit nervous at his sudden change in confidence, but decided to say nothing.

"There you two are!" Both turned to see the other Twin Warlord running up to them, the three boys and her Eevee following closely behind. "I haven't seen you all day, Tadashi! I was actually starting to worry!"

The male twin did not react much to her chiding, but offered up a simple apology.

"Sorry, I guess I've been a bit to busy thinking." he swore he heard snort from the direction of the four, but just ignored it.

"About what?"

"I'm think it's time we tried to challenge another Kingdom to battle."

* * *

"Good news, Lord Hideyoshi!" Koroku shouted as he barged into the repaired throne room, which bared no signs of any of the damage it had once received. The Warlord in question was hanging upside down from his ridiculous tall golden throne, currently engrossed in reading an account ledger, while his Chimchar wore his discarded helmet and issued commands to an imaginary army. The Monferno like man looked up from the collection of papers at the soldier's announcement, and somehow managed to pull off a flip from his position, landing only a few feet away from the burly man. He quickly snapped to attention while Hideyoshi did his best to ignore the blood rush.

"Our scouts have reported that Aurora's Army is on the move, most likely to Greenleaf. Now would be the perfect opportunity to strike!" he declared, but Hideyoshi seemed more focused on the first part of his statement.

"Greenleaf? They'd be crazy to think they stand a chance against Motonari! But I don't feel like challenging them yet... they might not fight him if they hear we've seized Aurora. I think it'd be better to wait until they've been thrashed by Motonari."

"So you did learn something from your last battle." Hanbei yawned out, leaning against one of the pillars to keep himself upright. Hideyoshi shot him a glare and Hanbei snapped awake, realizing what he had said aloud.

"My mouth gets ahead of my mind, sometimes." he replied in an attempt to apologize. Hideyoshi turned to Kanbei, who was standing in one of the few areas where the light from the torches failed to touch.

"Do all genius' put their feet in their mouth?"

"Only the daft ones, My Lord." he replied solemnly, which seemed to satiate the Fire using Warlord. Hanbei rolled his eyes at Hideyoshi's attempt at humiliating him, but decided not to say anything else. Despite the fact that Hideyoshi never punished him seriously due to how important he was to his army, the strategist still didn't feel like being stuck with a long list of chores.

"All right then. Koroku, prepare the men! We'll leave the moment we hear news of their defeat!" Hideyoshi sauntered back to his throne, removing his helmet from his Pokémon and putting it back on before sitting down and going through his ledger again.

* * *

A long trek through the woods that surrounded Greenleaf ensued to get to said castle, though it was enjoyable. There seemed to be a calmness, a sort of underlying serenity to it that made the hour long march through the winding dirt road that ran through it bearable, if not even relaxing. That serenity seemed to be shared by the denizens of Greenleaf itself, and the four members of the Aurora Army seemed to be confused by the fact that no one seemed concerned there was a foreign army in the middle of the town. Though to be fair, four people hardly qualify as an army. But they carried on nonetheless, and Tadashi took note of the town itself.

It seemed to be built entirely out of wood, and a rather sturdy one at that, and almost every building in sight had some greenery to it; whether it was flowers siting on a windowsill or potted outside the doors, to having entire roofs made out of vine, which only seemed to bolster the harmonic aura that the entire town gave off. Cobbled stone pathways served as the streets, weaving in and out of the more vital areas of the town and surrounding a large fountain in the center which was overshadowed by a massive wooden structure that seemed to serve as the castle. In short, the town was nothing like the dilapidated stronghold of a tyrant that Tadashi had imagined, but rather a picturesque model of a well kempt garden. But looks could be deceiving...

Finally reaching the tall doors of the castle, the Aurora Army waited for a few moments, fully expecting to be met by somebody. But when nobody came, Tadashi began knocking on the door while Mitsunari cleared his throat.

"So remind me again how me and Pawniward," Mitsunari then gestured to the red, metallic Pokémon that he had linked with only a few days ago. "Are going to be of any use in this battle, considering we've only been training for a few days?"

Kazumi turned around and smiled at the grumpy boy, her cheerfulness only seeming to irritate him. "Well, you're the only one of us who has a Pokémon with a resistance to Grass Types, so you may be crucial to the battle."

"So you essentially brought me and Pawniward along to act as human shields? That's sick, lady."

"Tell me about it..." Tadashi muttered under his breath while he began hitting the door knocker against the door, fully expecting his ribcage to be met with a sharp elbow any second. The warlord's incessant knocking was answered as the large oak doors were pulled open to reveal a middle aged man with grassy green hair, a warming smile, and an overall feel of benevolence.

"Ah, hello there. What can I do for you for on this fine day?" he offered cheerfully.

"We're here to challenge the warlord!" Tadashi declared proudly.

"Er... Please?" he added on after seeing the man was unconcerned. He just let out a faint chuckle at his quick apology, and gestured for them to enter.

"Of course, follow me please." they did so, and along the wide passage lined with many doors, Oichi decided this would be a good chance to question the man.

"Excuse me, Mister?"

"Hm? Yes?" the man looked back at the auburn haired girl without breaking pace.

"Are the rumors about your warlord true?" he raised an eyebrow at her question, stopping momentarily, a subtle curiosity striking him.

"And what rumors would those be?" she seemed to hesitate for a moment, unsure if she should carry on, but now everyone around her was curious.

"Well... I've heard that he's a... a ruthless strategist."

"A ruthless strategist?" the man chuckled once again at that, a hand scratching the back of his head in a somewhat nervous manner as he continued to laugh. "Rather blunt, but that would be one of the more accurate descriptions I've heard of him. Though he has been wanting to retire for some time... Ah, but enough of my rambling. Please, make yourselves comfortable while I go fetch the other warriors."

The warrior then pushed open a wooden door adorned with glass panels, bearing a label that read 'Library', and beckoned them inside. Three of the members of the Aurora Army gawked at how massive it was, with bookcases seeming to go on for an endless length, filled to the brim with various books, scrolls, manuscripts and the like. Mitsunari just scoffed at their reactions and leaned against one of the wooden shelves. He noticed the man who had let them in reaching for a book before exiting, the white tails of his coat creating a swishing sound as he hastily departed.

It did not take long for the man to return, a few other warriors in tow, and he found all of his soon-to-be opponents engrossed in various pieces of literature. He reflected for a moment on how contagious the serenity of Greenleaf was, but decided that it would be best to not waste anyone's time. He then cleared his throat, loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"If you are ready, we will lead you to the battlefield."

* * *

The four warriors stood nearby the entrance to a massive hedge maze, going over the instructions left to them by their host.

"We have to play an over-glorified game of capture the flag?" Mitsunari remarked cynically at hearing the others go over the details one final time.

"Basically. We should probably split up into two groups-"

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Kazumi interjected. "We don't really have a good idea of how many warriors they have, and I'm pretty sure none of us have any idea of where to go. For all we know, they could have set up ambushes at every corner."

"It's a risk we have to take." the other twin retorted. "You said it yourself; we don't have any idea of where to go. But if we split up we'll have a better chance of stumbling onto a flag instead of getting lost together. Sure, it's more dangerous, but at least that way we won't get disqualified for losing all the flags."

"What fool came up with the brilliant idea of incorporating flags into Pokémon Battles anyways?" Mitsunari complained as Tadashi finished his argument.

"It isn't really our place to complain." Oichi muttered.

"She's right," Tadashi began before turning back to his sister and Mitsunari. "Besides, this might work to our advantage if we are outnumbered. Were this an open battle, we would probably be overwhelmed if they attacked all at once."

"I guess you're right," Kazumi conceded. "Me and Mitsunari will-"

"Don't I get a say in this?" the boy was promptly ignored by his seniors as they continued discussing.

"And you and Oichi can go down that path. One of them has to lead to a flag."

"All right. Good Luck sis." and with that, Tadashi and Oichi had disappeared down the right fork, while Kazumi just began dragging a moping Mitsunari down the left. His Pawniward followed, snickering at his partners dilemma while receiving the evil eye from said auburn haired boy. This continued for a few minutes before they suddenly stopped and Kazumi started looking around at the hedges surrounding them.

_"Oh great, she's started to hear things. Can this day get any wor-"_ Mitsunari was then suddenly tackled to the ground by Kazumi, and let out a muffled complaint before managing to roll out from underneath her.

"What's the big de-" once again, reality decided to interrupt his train of thought, as a few razor sharp leaves shot out of the thicket, taking off a bit of the white hair that adorned his headdress, and landed centimeters away from his Pawniward. He jerked back and said a silent thank you to the older girl as she got back to her boots.

"Use Sand Attack, Eevee!" Kazumi's Eevee started kicking up dust in every direction.

"How's that going to help?"

"We have to know where they're attacking from before we can fight them." she replied hastily before hearing coughing to the left.

"There! Quick Attack, Eevee!" she ordered, with her Eevee enthusiastically following its orders. Not wanting to be left out, the boy extended a golden gauntlet and beckoned for his Pawniward to join his side.

"Pawniward!" he shouted. "Use- Use..."

He looked down in shame as he realized he forgot which moves his Pokémon knew. _"Ugh... This is so humiliating. At least Kiyomasa and Masanori aren't here, they would never let me live this down. But not even remembering you're own Pokémon's moves? Maybe I wasn't that much off when I said 'Human Shield'."_

"Mitsunari!" he was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by Kazumi calling him, and her jerking him closer to her to avoid another Razor Leaf attack. "You need to focus!"

"Right." he said while catching his breath, and the few strands of hair that had gotten cut off. "Attack, Pawniward!"

Since he failed to specify an attack, or even an opponent, Pawniward simply charged into the now visible thicket just as Eevee was launched out of it, blade-arms waving wildly in the arm while chanting its name. Needless to say, it didn't last to long.

Kazumi sighed at how the situation had quickly turned against them. "Use Sand Attack, again Eevee!"

Mitsunari looked at the twin skeptically, unsure of what she was planning, but it soon became apparent when her Eevee had launched another wave of dust into the bushes that their ambushers were hiding behind, giving them a bit of time to escape.

_"I hope Tadashi and Oichi are faring better."_

"Hm..." Tadashi mused as he grabbed the large, grey flag that the two stumbled upon in the clearing they came across.

* * *

"What's wrong, Lord Tadashi?" Oichi asked, clearly nervous about his apprehension.

"This doesn't feel right. It was too easy."

"Darn. They beat us to it, Takakage." both Aurorans turned to see two warriors standing across the clearing, both with their Pokémon at their side.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Motoharu. Where would we be without your keen eye?" the blond teen, most likely no older than Tadashi himself, replied to his black haired, muscular counterpart.

"I know, right?" the one who clearly had the brains of the duo slapped his forehead and groaned, but quickly recomposed himself at seeing his opponents snickering at the scene.

"Treeko!" the green, reptilian Pokémon that was sitting on his arm jumped in front of him, and was soon joined by an Axew. Tadashi's Eevee jumped off his shoulder, assuming a battle position in front of it's partner while Jigglypuff floated out of Oichi's arms and onto the grass below. Both sides stared the other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. Tadashi shouted out an order, Eevee lunged forward, and the battle began.


	7. Chapter 7

"Yukinaga, Teruzumi." The two Ignis officers snapped to attention at hearing the Ghost Tactician's authoritative voice address them, and immediately stopped their idle chatter and turned to face the intimidating youth.

"I want your divisions ready to leave within the hour." Kanbei left no room for questioning or argument as he quickly strode off afterwards, his black robes fluttering in the breeze he created in his haste. Hanbei, who had been walking down an adjacent hall when Kanbei gave his diction, took notice of this and quickly strode after the other tactician.

"Uh, Kanbei? What was that about? Didn't Hideyoshi say he wanted to wait to attack?" Kanbei stopped in his tracks, visibly bristling at his counterpart's questioning.

"Yes." he replied simply, before picking up his pace once more. It took a few seconds for Hanbei to fully process everything, but when he did an impish smile broke out on his face and he started to follow Kanbei again.

"Wait a minute... You mean to tell me you're actually disobeying Hideyoshi's orders and launching an attack on Aurora?" Kanbei did not break pace this time, but he still flinched at the narcoleptic's assessment.

"And if I am?" Hanbei's smile grew bigger at hearing the closest thing to a confession he would get from the albino youth, not exactly sure whether to be proud or concerned. Kanbei could see Hanbei's grin out of the corner of his eye, and scowled for a numerous amount of reasons.

"Wow, Kanbei. I think this is the biggest risk you've ever taken, disobeying Hideyoshi like that."

"You have no grounds to be lecturing me on disobedience," Kanbei started, already formulating various responses for what he was certain would be an argument. "And the only risk being took here is Lord Hideyoshi's unhealthy fixation on Aurora. Giving our opponents the opportunity to recuperate or prepare for another battle just so he would have a chance to fight them is foolish, regardless of our numbers. Seizing Aurora now would deprive them of the few advantages they have over us, thus their slim chances of squeezing out a victory, and hopefully allow our lord to focus on something more productive."

"I'm not going to argue with that, but I'm coming along." Hanbei replied, but Kanbei seemed to have not heard what he said.

"And furthermore- what?" Hanbei's acquiescence finally sunk in, and the imposing tactician finally spun around to look at his friend.

"Yep, I'll be coming along too. I can't have you take all the glory. Besides; Hideyoshi will be fuming after this, so you might as well have someone to share the blame with." Kanbei was, for once, at a loss for words at the strategist's declaration. He just awkwardly turned back around, somewhat flabbergasted, and just quietly ordered him to make whatever preparations he needed to, still trying to come up with Hanbei's real motives.

* * *

"Dragon Rage, Axew!" Motoharu ordered the small dragon Pokémon, who opened its maw the best it could before unleashing an uncharacteristically massive burst of purple flames at the two Aurora Warlords. Neither Tadashi or Oichi had time to order their Pokémon to dodge, not that they needed to be told such an obvious command that time, as they were too busy throwing themselves to the sidelines to avoid the massive burst of energy that imploded upon contact with the ground, creating a sizeable crater and sending large chunks of dirt and grass everywhere.

"Overkill much?" Takakage commented to Motoharu.

"I can't help it if little Axew here is an overachiever." the burly one replied to the blond teen, gesturing with a proud smile to the now-fatigued Axew.

"If only the same could be said about you..." Takakage muttered, loud enough that Motoharu would hear it but quite enough he would not pay it any heed. While the two were busy talking, Oichi got back to her feet while Jigglypuff rolled back into a battle position. The girl frowned at the grass stains that had sullied her usually pristine kimono, but pushed those thoughts out of her head in favor of the more relevant.

"We need to focus on that Axew, Jigglypuff." the balloon Pokémon gave her a determined nod, though due to its spherical dimensions it looked more akin to an attempt to roll, and Oichi steeled her features for the upcoming battle.

"Use Sing on Axew!" her command was joined by a synchronistic order from Tadashi for a Quick Attack on Treecko. The two Greenleaf warriors were snapped out of their reverie by the commands of the Aurorans, and immediately refocused their attention on the battle.

"Intercept that Eevee with Quick Attack!"

"Dragon Rage, again!" Motoharu's Axew was too tired to summon the strength for another attack, or even avoid the multicolored music notes heading in its direction. In a rather strange twist of fate, Treecko happened to be on a intersecting trajectory with the status-inducing attack, which resulted in the Wood Gecko Pokémon taking the metaphorical bullet for it's Dragon Type Counterpart before Tadashi's brown Pokémon crashed into it, sending the small Pokémon flying across the clearing. Takakage grimaced, but bit back a snide remark as Axew managed to get back to its stubby feet.

"Double Chop!" All the co-Warlord of Aurora had time to do was let out a grunt in anger as the small Dragon brought down a gleaming claw on the quivering Evolution Pokémon, swiping it over the head before smacking it a second time and sending it across the field in a manner similar to Treecko.

"Rollout!" Jigglypuff had already covered a considerable distance by the time the two Greenleafers had time to shift their focus. It was clear neither of the Warlords were intent on letting Axew stay in the battle for long. Takakage had noticed that his partner managed to get back into a suitable position, and decided to intervene.

"Use Absorb, Treecko!" The Grass Type sprung forward, its lithe figure letting it close the distance between the two quickly, and tackled the pink Pokémon mid-roll. The reptilian Pokemon placed its tri-digit hands on what could amount to be Jigglypuff's head, sapping the energy from the pink Pokémon. Tadashi's Eevee had recovered as well, and retaliated with launching Treecko off Jigglypuff with another Quick Attack. Motoharu then saw his chance with the two Pokémon in such close proximity to each other.

"Now, Dragon Rage!" The blue flames came too quickly for either of the normal types to act, and both were enveloped by them before being launched from their positions by the implosion. Axew fell back, exhausted from the draining attack, but neither Takakage or Motoharu were particularly concerned; all sides knew that Jigglypuff and Eevee would not be able to withstand another attack of that magnitude. Perhaps that's what fueled their opponents to fight with even more tenacity, given what was at stake with this battle.

"We can endure this, Eevee! Overcome them with Dig!" for a faint moment it seemed that Tadashi's enthusiasm had rubbed off on his Pokémon, and the steely determination that displayed itself in his near-silver eyes crept into his partner's. It immediately got back into the battle, digging through the dirt and earth at a incredibly fast pace that shocked even Oichi, and it was only a few seconds that the ground crumbled from underneath Treecko, who became powerless to stop Eevee from launching out underneath Axew.

"Wha? How'd he..." Motoharu, being at a loss for words at the display of speed, trailed off at the sight of Eevee managing to cover the distance of the field without them even managing to ready a counterattack. Takakage managed to keep himself composed at the intimidating sight, though it was obvious he shared Motoharu's shock.

"It won't matter how fast your Eevee is, it still can't make up for the damage done! Pound!" Treecko managed to climb out of the tunnel, only to be hit by a Fury Cutter from out of the blue. Takakage's eyes darted to the interloper, who revealed itself to be a Pawniard, and then to its child partner behind them. Mitsunari gave off a satisfactory smirk at the Pokémon's handiwork, and for being able to remember (guess) one of the moves his Pokémon knew, before offering up a reply in a snarky tone that rivaled Takakage's.

"No. But numbers can."

The blond grimaced at Mitsunari's arrival, and immediately began looking for a way out as his severely injured Treecko bounded back to him. Motoharu seemed to beat him to the punch, though.

"Dragon Rage!"

"Is that the only move it can use?" Tadashi wondered aloud as Axew unleashed another volley of flames on the newcomers, half taunting Motoharu and half genuine. Unfortunately, he was not blessed with the same aura of ignorance that Takakage projected, and Motoharu picked up on his snub.

"No!" he replied in a manner unbefitting of someone his age. "Rock Smash!"

Mitsunari pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned at his luck, before ordering another Fury Cutter. Pawniard was promptly sent flying seconds later, crashing into Mitsunari and knocking him down. The two Greenleafers, who were outnumbered and flanked, took their chance to retreat back into the maze. Tadashi and Oichi followed suit, with Oichi stopping to help Mitsunari back to his feet while the co-Warlord in white ran up to the fork the Greenleafers ran down. The teen's head darted from one end of the maze to the other, looking for any sign of the path his opponents took, but found that both looked nearly identical. He doubled back and approached Mitsunari as the younger boy was brushing the dirt off his black coat, before a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"Mitsunari?"

"Yes?"

"Where's sis?" Mitsunari froze on the spot, and turned to face the warlord in an uncharacteristic display of hesitation. Knots immediately began forming in the chocolate haired teen's stomach.

"Well..." he started, trying to word his answer in the most diplomatic way possible. The male twin's presence suddenly became much more intimidating. "We kind of... got ambushed. And separated. And lost."

Tadashi's gloved hand flew to his forehead as he let out a heavy sigh, and started to pace back and forth in the small passage anxiously. Oichi looked awkwardly down at her feet, unsure of how to approach the situation, while Mitsunari just crossed his metal covered fingers and hoped for the best. The twin finally let out another sigh, stopped his pacing, and shook his head in a mixture of disappointment and frustration.

"So... You mean to tell me that you got separated from my sister in an unfamiliar maze we have no knowledge of, where we could be ambushed at any moment, and we have to go find her while not getting lost ourselves? On top of a battle?" Mitsunari grimaced at his summary, but tried to maintain his composure and what pride he had left.

"Pretty much." Tadashi frowned at his reply, be it for the reaffirmation or just the nonchalant manner of it, but stifled any further complaints as he fished through his leather satchel for an Oran Berry. After retrieving the blue fruit and passing it off to his partner perched on his shoulderplate, he turned back to the fork and alternated looking at the two paths.

"This could take a while..." he muttered while running a hand through his chocolate colored hair.

* * *

None of the trio knew how much time had passed during their search and investigation of the maze. It felt like hours had gone by looking for the stranded twin, and it could have very well been, and things weren't exactly looking up for them in the actual battle either. The gash and thin trail of blood running down from Aurora Warlord's cheek was a testimony to that.

"My lord, you must be more careful." Oichi chided in an almost mother-like manner, while she kneeled down to the sitting Tadashi and applied what little medicine he brought with him on the cut.

"I don't think this is exactly the definition of discreet." Tadashi replied, biting his lower lip as he winced at the stinging sensation, before tapping the bottom of the giant banner from the previous clearing on the ground a few times for emphasis. Its height could be concealed by the taller hedges that boxed off certain sections of the maze, like the very ones they were hiding behind know, but the lower hedges that served as pathways did little to hide the large grey standard. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Razor Leaf wasn't meant for me."

Oichi opened her mouth to respond as she finished dabbing the alcohol-soaked gauze on his face, but whatever the auburn haired girl was about to say died in her mouth as she took a second glance at the standard.

"My lord, they spotted us because of the banner, right?" Tadashi noticed Mitsunari, who was sitting against the hedge wall opposite to him, roll his eyes at her restatement of the obvious, but he paid him no heed and simply refocused on Oichi.

"Yes." he said, before wincing once again as Oichi started to wipe his cheek with a medicine that stung as much as the antiseptic.

"Well, what if it worked both ways? Maybe we could get Lady Kazumi to come to us that way." Tadashi raised an eyebrow at the idea, knowing the inherent risks in it already, and being painfully reminded of them as another piece of cloth went across his features.

"It could work..." he started, mulling over the suggestion. "But what if she mistakes us for the enemy?" Mitsunari let out a dry chuckle, drawing the attention of the two other Aurorans to him.

"Simple; put something on it she knows belongs to you." The white and black wearing warlord blinked a few times at the simplicity of the response, but couldn't deny the logic behind it. As the fellow normal-type user finished applying the bandage on his face, Tadashi reached up and wrestled the golden Maedate out of his hair, causing his already disheveled hair to fall over his forehead and eyebrows. He then pulled the large banner down, managed to slip the headwear into the folds at an angle where it wouldn't fall out, and set it back upright.

The three went on their way after that, with the banner Tadashi was holding above the man size shrubbery acting as a beacon. For the Greenleaf army. By the time they managed to reach the next clearing, Takakage, Motoharu, and some six other warriors, one of whom held the other banner, had all gathered in it. Tadashi gritted his teeth at how easily their plan had backfired, and mentally kicked himself in the butt for not thinking of the now obvious flaw in it when he was more focused on finding his sister. The option of simply turning tail quickly entered his mind, but was shot down as soon as it entered; the banner would slow them down, and they were outnumbered in an unknown and confusing surrounding.

"Ladies first." the blond Junior Warlord taunted. The corner of the Aurora Warlord's lip twitched in irritation, the only sign that he had even heard the insult, but he beat back his temper. He knew he could not afford to think irrationally, nor out of a desire for victory alone, and steeled his features best he could.

"Sand Attack, Eevee!" Eevee spun around and immediately started to send up a cloud of dust and sand at the amassed army, who were unable to avoid it due to their numbers and the confined space. Mitsunari opened his mouth to order Pawniard to attack, but Tadashi extended his arm to keep him from speaking just yet. When a few silhouettes began to be visible through the brown cloud, the three Aurora Warlords each began to order an attack before a massive cloud of purple energy shot out from the dust cloud, forcing them to dodge. It managed to pass them unharmed, and the trio could hear Takakage berating Motoharu on his poor timing, but quickly refocused on the task at hand as the kicked up dirt started to settle.

"Bite!" the Normal Type didn't hear any specification from its partner, but it understood from the direction he was pointing at that he wanted Axew out of play as soon as possible. And given the fact that Mitsunari's Pawniard was keeping the entire left flank busy, tantamount to more than half the opposing forces, with a barrage of continually strengthening Fury Cutters, that was feasible. Eevee sprung forward with a mighty leap, using a Quick Attack to close the gap between itself and its target, only for Takakage's Treecko to interrupt once again. The lizard-like Pokémon dove in front of the attack before spinning around and using its tail like a bat, swatting away the charging Eevee to the side.

The Evolution Pokémon sprang back to its haunches, and charged Treecko headfirst with another Quick Attack. This time it was Axew who intercepted with a Rock Smash, the small size of it's glowing hand giving no indication of the true strength of the attack. The small dragon brought it down onto Eevee's back mid-charge, stopping its advance and pushing it into the ground. It was when Treecko brought up its tail to strike again that Tadashi saw his chance.

"Now, Bite!" the Eevee clamped his small jaw onto the green appendage, eliciting a pained shriek from the other diminutive Pokémon and causing Treecko to start to thrash about, with Eevee still clamping down hard on the tail.

"Dragon Rage!" Motoharu commanded to Takakage's chagrin. Axew opened its maw and simply spewed out another ball of purple energy, not even bothering to take aim. As if fate was punishing Takakage for all his snubs, Treecko finally managed to fling Eevee off of its tail, right before the ball of energy collided with it and imploded. The Wood Gecko Pokémon was sent flying, along with a copious amount of dirt and grass, and collapsed unconscious some distance away. Eevee landed harmlessly at the base of Tadashi's metallic boots, before bounding back with another Quick Attack. Motoharu was too busy being smacked outside the head by his shorter counterpart to give an order.

The lithe fox-like Pokémon crashed into the Dragon Type, knocking it over, before retreating underground with a Dig. Though it could very much have been a fluke, Motoharu ordered Axew to do something tactically sound, which was to fire a Dragon Rage into the foxhole Eevee had created. Takakage stopped his ignored ranting and do a double take at hearing that.

Axew's head peered into the tunnel, preparing to unleash another barrage of energy that the tunnel would channel, only Eevee to charge back out of the small hole it dug and slam into green dragon. Axew tumbled backwards in a spectacular fashion, and once it finally stopped rolling backwards it made no attempt to get back up. The two warlords looked exasperated as they were finally forced out of the battle, along with the rest of their army.

Apparently the presence of reinforcements had done nothing to stop Mitsunari's partner from carving through their Grass Types with Fury Cutter, if anything it only hastened their fall due to Pawniard being able to repeat the attack even more, and due to the mass of unconscious Pokémon on the ground before them, it was clear they had lost. Before Tadashi could approach the defeated party, the sound of metallic boots trotting upon grass and scattered leaves attracted their attention to the entrance. Kazumi and her Eevee ran up to their army, the former breathing heavily.

"So, what'd I miss?" she asked in an upbeat tone, clearly happy about either being able to find her comrades or what they had managed to do in the time she was separated from them.

"Not much." was Tadashi's reply as he turned to face her, simultaneously wrestling his headwear out of the banner he had been lugging around.

"Oh, Tadashi, it's you! I thought a mop was eating your head." she teased, maintaining her cheerful smile. The other twin rolled his silvery eyes at her joke while wrestling the golden maedate back into his mess of hair.

"Hardy har har." came his sarcastic, deadpan response, though the half smile that crept up on his face betrayed the fact that he was just happy to see her regardless. Takakage eyed the two with a hint of envy, partially wishing his relationship with his own sibling could be more like theirs. The teen then shook his head, and turned to his men.

"Give him the flag." he commanded, drawing the attention of everyone.

"But-" Motoharu's complaint was cut off by a dismissive wave.

"It doesn't matter, Motoharu. Father will cream them."

"Father?" Tadashi asked while he was given the massive standard by one of the nearby Greenleaf warriors, before passing it to Kazumi. "You mean you're not the warlord?"

"Why would you think I was the warlord?" Takakage responded, a hint of surprise making it's way into his somewhat apathetic tone.

"I just assumed that you were, to be honest..." Tadashi sheepishly admitted before his eyes darted to the burly, black-haired youth standing next to Takakage. _"Well, out of the two of you, at least."_

"Doesn't he look a _bit_ young to have vicious rumors about him all over Ransei?" Mitsunari stated, which seemed to cause Takakage some form of offense.

"Hey! I happen to be a genius, and am perfectly capable of such if I actually applied myself!"

* * *

Hanbei, who was taking a nap on the roof of the recently occupied Aurora Castle, sneezed.

* * *

"Which you clearly didn't do." Tadashi's snarky comment managed to inspire some suppressed laughter from both sides, and an exasperated sigh from Takakage.

"Whatever," he responded with a dismissive shake of the head. "Anyways, if you're so intent on being defeated, follow me." The two twins exchanged glances at Takakage's command.

Tadashi only offered an indifferent shrug to Kazumi's quizzical look, recognizing that the retreating Greenleafer was probably genuine in his offer to bring them to the warlord. The blond looked over his shoulder to see if the Aurora Army was following, and was satisfied to see that they were beginning to move after him. He navigated the large group of warriors through the winding maze of hedges, taking them through multiple twists and turns before finally coming up on another clearing. Tadashi could already see the final banner above the heads of the Greenleaf army in front of him, but no more than that. When they finally entered the clearing, the Greenleaf warriors parted to reveal the enemy Warlord.

The same mild-mannered, grassy haired man who had greeted them when they first came to the kingdom was currently sitting on a folding stool in the middle of the clearing, one leg casually slung over the other. A stack of books sat to his left, and he was busy gazing over the open one on the top of the stack, while somehow managing to hold both a cup of tea and the pole of the banner in his right hand. The idyllic image shattered whatever illusion Tadashi had left of the man being some manipulative mastermind, or he truly was the greatest liar of his time. The Warlord took notice of them, closed his book, set the cup of tea on it, and stood from his seat in the middle of the clearing, rousing the Servine sleeping at the foot of it to action.

"Well, I must congratulate you on making it this far, and with all your Pokémon still in fighting shape to boot." he said with a cheerful smile, though everyone knew that, sans Mitsunari, none of their partners were exactly fit for a prolonged battle.

"And though I am tempted to just surrender right now-"

"Father!" Takakage shouted out in what seemed to be shock mixed with desperation, that the rest of his army seemed share. Motonari turned and offered him a reassuring smile before returning to his guests.

"Unfortunately our unsaid laws dictate that I must put up a fight." As Motonari finished his introduction, Servine casually walked in front of him and assumed a fighting stance, though still maintaining the same laid back, mossy demeanor of it's partner. The four Aurora warriors spread out in a semi-circle around him, though the Greenleaf Warlord simply maintained his serene atmosphere even as he watched himself get surrounded.

"Sunny Day." at first the Aurorans thought he was making an offhand comment about the weather, but when Servine raised it's hands to the clear sky, followed immediately by the mild rays of the sun intensifying to a almost unbearable level, it was clear that it he had ordered the move.

_"Wait... why would he order it to use Sunny Day? Servine's a grass type, and it strengthens fire type moves. Either he's trying to throw the match, or those rumors weren't too far off the mark..."_ Kazumi thought, eyes darting from the man, to the green Pokémon, before going over to her brother. He gave her a silent nod, indicating that he was probably contemplating the same thought as her, and she redirected her focus on the battle.

"Use Helping Hand, Eevee!" Her Eevee scampered over the short distance to reach its slightly taller counterpart, placing its paw on the side of the other Eevee. Motonari 's Servine made no move to intervene, so both Oichi and Mitsunari took that as a sign to attack.

"Sing, Jigglypuff!"

"Let's get this battle over with a Fury Cutter." The multi-colored notes and glowing blades rushed at Servine from opposite directions, but the Grass Type simply remained motionless and passive until both were within striking distance.

"Leaf Tornado, if you please." with a lightning quick speed that was completely contradictory to the former lax attitude Servine had displayed, a stream of leaves had been kicked up around it that rebuffed the charging Pawniard as if it was a wave crashing against a bluff, and tore through every single sleep-inducing note that was aimed for the creator of the attack. To say the Aurora Army was surprised would be an understatement.

Motonari saw their momentary confusion and awe, let out a dry chuckle at the sight, and silently ordered Servine to prepare another Leaf Tornado. Believing that they could out pace their opponent in terms of speed, both of the twins ordered a dual Quick Attack on the Grass Type. They were quick, and perhaps more importantly; well coordinated, crisscrossing with each step in an attempt to confuse their opponent before it could get another attack out, but it was all to no avail. Another raging whirlwind of leaves was kicked up right as the two Eevee's came within striking distance, and were consequentially launched backwards.

"Watch your left." Servine spun around at Motonari's warning, its tail already coiled up in preparation for a Leaf Blade, and unleashed it on the Pawniard that was doing a poor attempt at sneaking up on it. The blade like-tail slammed into the dual type's midsection, forcing it to stumble backwards and let out a pained breath.

"Now, jump." Servine did as instructed once more, pulling off a backflip just in time to let the Rollout Jigglypuff had aimed for it to crash into the recovering Pawniard. Motonari noticed out of the corner of his eye a few of the leaves that had been scattered by Leaf Tornado rustling, though they bore no sign of being walked on.

"Beneath you, and try to block them with Leaf Tornado." the mild mannered Warlord's warning came just in time, as the two Eevee burst out of the ground a few feet away from Servine, only to be the ones caught by surprise when they ran into another wall of leaves.

"Like we practiced." Servine coiled up its tail once more, and used it as a springboard to launch itself high up into the air, avoiding the third wave of attacks that were launched at it before launching another Leaf Tornado at the helpless Pokémon below. After scattering the combatants and returning to earth with a graceful fall, Servine looked around at the opposing Pokémon to see the hesitation plastered on their faces.

_"Lord..."_ Tadashi grimaced while wiping a few beads of sweat off his forehead, a result of the blistering heat. _"He's used every one of our attacks against us and he hasn't even gone on the offensive yet. We haven't even been able to land a single- ugh. What is that?"_

Tadashi stopped his frantic contemplation as a revolting smell made its way to his nose, causing his eye to water and him to shield his face. His comrades seemed to notice the smell as well, as they each made similar motions. His eyes made their way over to some of the leaves that had been scattered by Leaf Tornado, and he noticed that they had withered and were starting to burn under the intense heat and rays of the sun.

Motonari just offered up the best devious smirk he could, which translated to another disarming smile, and knew that now was the perfect time to go on the offensive.

"Attack Pawniard with Leaf Storm, if you would be so kind." Servine kicked up another spiraling whirlwind of leaves, though rather than create new ones it simply reused the ones that were beginning to catch fire. The sudden gust helped to fan the flames, and before long what would have normally been a Grass Type attack had transformed into a spiraling inferno that crashed into the Steel Type, sending it tumbling backwards until it came to rest face down, unconscious. Mitsunari just stared on with his mouth agape at the makeshift fire attack, before stiffly walking over and scooping up his unconscious Pokémon, berating himself for not being able to see the trick. But Motonari was far from over.

"Now, Leech Seed on Jigglypuff." Servine shot out a large, brown seed at the Balloon Pokémon, which hit in what could equate to being its stomach, and launched the Pokémon backwards into the massive hedge behind it. Vines immediately shot out from the seed, entangling Jigglypuff and intertwining with the vegetation itself, effectively immobilizing the pink Pokémon and rendering it useless to the Aurorans. Oichi just let out a muffled cry at the sight. The twin warlords both took a cautionary step backwards, a movement that was copied by their partners, at the sight of having their forces effectively cut in half within the span of a minute.

"Things are looking bleak..." the male twin heard his sister mutter.

"Yes; I was looking forward to being able to retire after this." Motonari, who had apparently heard her, joked with a scratch of the back of his head. Both twins blinked blankly at his remark, not entirely sure whether he was taunting them, joking, or just making an idle comment. Tadashi shook his head, reminding himself that there were far more pressing matters at hand, and looked around for anything they could use to their advantage, anything that would give them a chance at victory. It was then an idea entered his head after he glanced at the passage his Eevee had dug some time earlier, and it was certainly a risky one, but better than just ordering another suicidal charge.

"Use Sand Attack!"

"You too, Eevee!" Kazumi seemed to have caught on to his idea, or was just playing along at worst, and the two Evolution Pokémon spun around and started kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Tadashi thought he could see a faint glimmer of understanding in Motonari's eyes before his figure was obscured by the dust, but dismissed it as his own vision being distorted from the sand.

"Would you clear away the dust, Servine?" Servine whipped up another tornado of leaves, the whirlwind sucking up the dust and exposing the remaining members of the Aurora Army, before the serpentine Pokémon sent it down on them. The two Pokémon managed to get out of the way in time, but the dust that was collected by the tornado was sent back across the field, enveloping it like a fog and causing everyone present to cover their faces and start coughing.

When the dust finally settled, both of the Eevee had vanished, and Servine eyed the exit to the foxhole before it. Sure enough, an Eevee emerged from it seconds later in a Quick Attack-enhanced charge, and was promptly swept aside with a quick Leaf Blade. What no one in the crowd predicted was that the ground directly underneath Servine would suddenly give way, and Tadashi's Eevee would burst out of it and slam into Servine's stomach. Servine attempted to regain control midair, only to suffer Kazumi's Eevee launching a successful Quick Attack into its side, and once the Grass Type's equilibrium had been thrown off it proved surprisingly fragile. Too fragile in Tadashi's opinion, as all it took after that was another Quick Attack and Bite to finish it off, with a curious flash of light taking place between attacks that was barely detected by him.

But if he had any doubts about the authenticity of the victory, it would have appeared that he was alone in his suspicions. His twin energetically pumped her fist in the air, ecstatic about their miraculous victory, and Mitsunari walked over with a barely conscious and burnt Pawniard, with both looking to be slightly less dour than usual. Motonari walked over as well, grey flag in hand, and passed it to the youngest member of the group with a warm smile, though his army seemed far less enthusiastic than he did.

"I have to say I am impressed with how you managed to pull one over me-" it was then Takakage decided to step up.

"No!" he declared, drawing the attention of the group. "Maybe they could defeat you with brute strength, Father, but a group of rookies would never be able to trick you. I refuse to accept it!"

Motonari just chuckled at his indignant son. "You put too much stock in me, I'm afraid. I'm just a man, and am bound to make an oversight sometime down the road."

The soon to be ex-Warlord of Greenleaf turned back to the Aurora Army, and as his Servine reassumed its place at the grassy haired man's side, the metaphorical light bulb went off over the blond Junior Warlord's head.

"Gods... I can't believe you did it... You threw the battle, didn't you, Father?" Takakage's accusation was successful in drawing the attention of everybody in the clearing.

"Why would you think that, son?" Motonari replied, as serene as usual, though both Takakage and Tadashi could tell he had been shaken on some level by the accusation.

"Because of Servine here," Takakage replied while gesturing to the Grass Snake Pokémon, which caused Tadashi to raise a brown eyebrow. "Now it makes sense why you ordered it to use Leech Seed on Jigglypuff."

The Aurora Warlord's attention was briefly diverted to Oichi, who had succeeded in wrestling the unconscious and drained Jigglypuff from the vines that had been restraining it, followed by a voice in the back of his head saying that he should have helped her, before his attention was redirected as the Greenleaf warrior continued his deduction.

"You could have knocked out Jigglypuff just as easily as you did Pawniard with the momentum you had, but you decided to constrain it using Leech Seed, which didn't make much sense considering that Servine hadn't been hit." Takakage related as he paced back and forth, like some detective who was running through a killer's methods.

"So the only logic behind that attack was that you kept it around in case your partner would get hit, but considering the fact Servine just took out half of Aurora's army in under a minute without taking any damage, that could only mean one thing; you knew that Servine was going to get hit." Takakage then stopped pacing like a caged Liepard and turned to face his father, who had only raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Multiple times in fact. You probably intended to throw the battle from the start, and didn't want Servine to suffer for it, so you would have Leech Seed restore its health after it took enough attacks to get KO'd. But you didn't want to attract suspicion, so you knocked out Pawniard and Jigglypuff and forced the Aurorans to the brink of defeat. That's the only way you could have possibly lost." Once Takakage was finished with his explanation, the reactions of his audience were clearly varied.

The Greenleaf Army seemed to be in disbelief, Motoharu looked furious that Takakage would accuse their father of throwing the fight, Tadashi silently agreed with Takakage's assessment, Kazumi didn't know what to think, Oichi was too concerned over Jigglypuff to think at all, and the explanation had, for the most part, gone over Mitsunari's head. Motonari himself just let out a dry chuckle.

"If only you put as much thought into your education..." he mused absentmindedly before letting out a heavy sigh. "But yes, though it pains me to admit it, I did throw the battle." This elicited numerous shocked responses from both sides, which only cause Motonari's gaze to sink lower.

"But why?" this time Motoharu asked the question.

"Because I had wanted to retire for years, but simply couldn't muster the heart to put my Kingdom through all the trouble. My reputation was one of the few things keeping the nearby kingdoms at bay, and were I to step down I'm afraid war would have found its way to this haven as well. But my duties as a Warlord were also hampering my scholarly pursuits, and I hoped that I could just quietly pass the baton along, and hopefully spare Greenleaf any more trouble than what I already caused it in my younger days."

"But that isn't fair!" Takakage retorted. "You shouldn't have to put your army through that-"

"Takakage," the mossy warlord interrupted, still maintaining his sense of serenity while asserting a bit of parental authority. "War itself isn't fair. If I recall, you were the one to suggest using the hedges as cover for ambushes."

Tadashi's hand found its way to the blood stained bandage on his cheek.

"But it still isn't right!" Takakage argued back futilely, his voice becoming strained.

"Son, what are you trying to protect? Me, or Greenleaf?"

"But you _are_ Greenleaf! Not just for me, but for everyone who follows you!" the teen replied back, his voice now starting to become choked up at his poor attempt to fight back the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. Motonari just let out another sigh, this one clearly saturated with regret, and simply put a hand on the shoulder of his son as he looked around. Though the expressions of the other members of the Greenleaf army were varied, he could tell that all of them were as devastated as Takakage by the revelation and his motives, which only made the middle-aged man feel even more guilt at his deception.

That simple act seemed to be what pushed Takakage over the edge, and the teen hugged Motonari and started to quietly cry into his chestplate. Tadashi looked on the pitiful scene with sympathy; Takakage was clearly afraid of losing his home, and the Warlord of Aurora was perfectly empathetic with that fear. He wasn't the best with comforting people; the one experience he had of trying to comfort someone was when his twin had sprained her ankle when they were kids, and his poorly chosen words only resulted in her crying even more, but he still felt compelled to say something.

He decided to clear his throat, Motonari looked over his shoulder in response, and the could feel Kazumi silently shooting him a look that said now wasn't the best time.

"You don't have to give up Greenleaf, you know." This drew the attention of everyone, and caused Takakage to quickly recompose himself and step out from behind his parent.

"What?" he half asked, half sniveled. That one simple word seemed to speak for the rest of the Greenleafers.

"Well, we'd be perfectly happy to leave Greenleaf in your hands if you would help us out." the white wearing Warlord's unusual offer certainly intrigued Motonari, and he started weighing the pros and cons in his head.

"Hmm..." he began uncertainly. Tadashi seemed to anticipate what he was about to say, and beat him to the punch.

"You could always just appoint someone to handle most of the day to day stuff with Greenleaf while you're gone. Naoshige manages Aurora for us so we can focus on fighting (though that's probably for the best since we have no idea of how to manage a kingdom), and we'll need a strategist of your caliber if we're going to beat Hideyoshi and his tacticians." Motonari mulled over Tadashi's argument for a few minutes, his hand in his chin and eyes glanced downwards in contemplation.

"Well," the grassy haired man let out a short chuckle. "I believe you've made an offer I can't refuse. I do suppose it's not always enough to write history; sometimes you have to make it."

Motonari extended his gloved hand, which Tadashi took in his own gauntleted one, and the two exchanged a quick handshake. Takakage stepped forward before anyone else could say anything, and just awkwardly cleared his throat.

"I don't really know what to say. Even after I threw so much at the four of you, you would still be kind enough to let us keep our home. I... I'm speechless." Apparently fate agreed, and before he could transition into a full fledged apology, a new voice interrupted the group.

"My Lord!" the Aurorans spun around to the entrance to see three figures running in their direction, which soon revealed themselves to be Naoshige, Kiyomasa and Masanori.

"Naoshige? What are you doing here?" Kazumi asked, with her sentiments echoed by Mitsunari to his friends. He quickly got on his knee and bowed to the warlords, an act that the two found to be both odd and a little embarrassing.

"Forgive me, my lord, my lady, but Aurora has fallen. I have failed-"

"WHAT!?" his apology was cut off by Tadashi's shocked exclamation. After his initial shock wore off, Tadashi settled into that stage of quiet disbelief that his twin and counterpart had already settled into, and just stared blankly at the ground, fully trying to process the simple information. Oichi, who had by now joined Mitsunari, just silently stared on, though the troubled look on her face betrayed her own troubles.

_"Is... Is this all my fault?"_ she began to think, looking at the motionless warlords. _"If I hadn't pressured Lord Tadashi so hard to expand, then we might not be in this position."_

_"But we also managed to get Greenleaf's assistance out of it, and we can retake it tomorrow."_ another voice, considerably more confident than the previous one, in the auburn-haired teen's head reasoned. Though simply from the empty, deadest gaze in the eyes of her warlords, the Junior Warlord could tell that it did not make up for the emotional duress.

She knew both most likely felt like failures for losing their kingdom, the same sensation that had swept over Takakage not long ago, and felt they also failed their uncle who had entrusted the kingdom to them. Oichi felt sick to her stomach, knowing that she was the indirect cause of their conundrum and also knew that she should apologize to Tadashi for pushing him to attack Greenleaf.

But before she could bring herself to muster the courage to address him, the same confident voice from before reminded the girl that time was not on their side. Western Ransei needed to be unified as quickly as possible if the region was to be saved, if a catastrophe were to be averted. And she could not afford to falter in her mission, no matter how much pain it caused her. But then the same voice that had caused her to doubt moments ago pushed its way back into her head.

_"And what happens if all you accomplish is to create another Nobunaga? Or worse; what if you become him in the process?"_

Oichi felt a wave of confusion wash over her, causing her to question the validity of her cause, and to instinctively tighten her grip on the sleeping Jigglypuff in her arms. That doldrums was broken by Motonari, who decided to speak up after a few tense seconds had passed.

"Yes..." he began awkwardly, the irony of the situation not lost on him. "Unfortunately none of us are in any shape to fight. We should probably spend the rest of the day gathering our bearings and we can leave first thing in the morning."

"No!" the male twin replied sharply. "We have to leave now, we need to retake Aurora as soon as possible!"

Kazumi place a hand on his black shoulderplate, and gave him a slight tug to redirect his attention.

"Brother, he's right. I know you want to take back our home, but we have to keep our wits if we want to win." Tadashi let out a heavy sigh at her comment.

"I know... I know..." he muttered. "We'll leave tomorrow. I... I think I need to be alone for a while..." the chestnut-haired twin did not stop her brother from sauntering off into the maze with only his Eevee to keep him company.


	8. Chapter 8

At the other end of Ransei, nearly parallel to Greenleaf in geographical location, laid the massive manor of Yaksha. Surrounded by thick, dark forests and in the shadow of foreboding cliffs, it was an old, seemingly-dilapidated structure that was shrouded in nearly perpetual darkness. Even in the middle of the day, a careful combination of overarching shadows and never ending storm clouds would prevent almost any light from finding its way into the seemingly unoccupied kingdom, which meant that the time of day that it was besieged was irrelevant to Nobunaga.

If anything, the thin moonlight that cast itself down from the clear night sky was more gracious to the invaders than the storm-filled afternoon would have been.

The Oda set up their usual goldenrod-colored camp at the foot of the woods, which was abuzz with chatter, per norm. It had been this way for some time; divisions would be sent into the woods in hopes of assaulting the seemingly uninhabited kingdom, only to be ambushed mid-trek by the desperate defenders and sent back with their tails between their legs. The Generals would then fawn over maps, argue with each other over a proper course of action, agree on some hastily built plan that relied mainly on numbers, send out another wave, and the process would repeat itself, with less warriors to work with each time.

Nobunaga himself sat at the end of the camp, watching apathetically as his subordinates attempted to construct a strategy that could trump their shadowy opponents, but his young page seated next to him could practically feel the conqueror's patience disintegrating with each word uttered. The man's utterly neutral expression broke with a slight frown, and he slowly stood from his seat.

"Silence." his tone was neutral and retrained, but the power carried behind it quickly made itself heard over all the clamor in the camp, which immediately set into a dead silence at the single word.

"Burn it all. This cycle will not cease; merely be broken or break us."

Once again, his plan had found opposition in Mitsuhide, but this time he could see many of his other officers displaying their shock.

"My Lord, I doubt we could hardly even control a forest fire! At best, it would spread into the nearby villages and harm whoever lives there, but at worst, our own-"

"Mitsuhide." the blue-clad man silenced himself at hearing his name, suddenly became interested in his sandals, and did not dare to reply to his lord. Nobunaga simply let out a dry chuckle at the sight, and slowly walked over to the other man. Every step he took broke the tense silence that had formed, with the sound of his black armor reverberating throughout the camp as it hit the dirt, and the man stopped mere feet away from his general.

"Mitsuhide," Nobunaga repeated, though this time it carried with it an unspoken command to look at him. The Warlord in question hesitantly raised his head to meet his commander's penetrating gaze, and suddenly found his body unresponsive under the intensity of it. "What is it that you desire?"

The inquiry caught the already paralyzed man off-guard, and he found himself blathering like a fool in an attempt to both gather his wits and respond at the same time. The long haired man finally managed to edge out a single coherent word.

"Peace." he uttered quickly, followed by a curt bow. Nobunaga, still maintaining the smirk he had the entire time, scoffed. He could see into the darkest depths of the uneasy man's soul, and he observed the ambition that swam beneath the surface of the usually stoic Warlord. It would be brought out in due time.

"Peace for you, or peace for Ransei?" he questioned, which caused the man to visibly tense.

"For Ransei, milord." the Nixtorm Warlord hastily replied. Nobunaga's eyes narrowed slightly at the response, and the smirk he had evaporated.

"Then you must be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve it. Now go, all of you." his command was absolute, leaving no order to argue, and all present began to quickly file out of the encampment. Nobunaga took his seat once again, and lazily observed the smoke that was beginning to rise from a distance away. The Dragnor Warlord was fully aware that he had played into the hands of the stealthy defenders by ordering his entire force on the offensive, but he also was aware that they were playing into his hands with each passing second.

The conqueror produced a piece of paper from the inside of his coat pocket, and handed it to the faithful page who remained by his side.

"Deliver this to Ieyasu, Ranmaru." the boy looked up from his position seated on the uncomfortable ground, and though he took the parchment, he could not help but worry.

"But, my lord, that would leave you-"

"Do so." Nobunaga commanded in the same apathetic voice as he had before, but there was an intangible strength to the way the man had given his command that silenced any complaints the boy had. He gave a bow, followed by a silent apology, and began to tread out of the camp with his Riolu in tow. On his way out, he found his blue eyes wandering down to the writing on it, and stopped mid-step when he processed the contents of the paper.

"My lord," he said, turning back to face the seated Warlord. "This is an order for Lord Ieyasu to fall back to camp."

"Yes, it is." Ranmaru offered up another bow, one that was mimicked by his Riolu, and inwardly berated himself for his arrogance. He turned and quickly fled the camp, paying no more heed to the logic behind the eccentric order. Nobunaga just sat back again, put a hand to his chin, and gazed absentmindedly at the entrance to the encampment. He could hear the faint rustling of leaves around him, the near silent displacements of air, the almost undetectable sound of branches creaking, but pretended to pay it no heed. He made a few subtle hand gestures to his Hydriegon with his free hand, commanding it to stand down, and the Pokémon only let out a snort in recognition.

"You're destined to die before your time..." it was a faint whisper, one that seemingly came from all directions at once and was barely heard by the sole occupant of the encampment. What would have unnerved anyone else only caused Nobunaga to slowly move his hand to the hilt of his blade, while a small smirk grew on his face at how predictable his shadowy opponents were.

"But I think I'll do away with you even sooner than that!" it was then the owner of the gravelly voice made himself known, and only the sound of a few more displaced leaves was the only indication the conqueror had to the fact that the ninja Warlord had lunged out of a tree behind him. With reflexes as fast as his assailants, Nobunaga had spun around and drew his blade, the faint light of the moon giving the black metal an ungodly glow.

With a simple flick of his metal-encased wrist, the blade was sent up in an arc and cut across the attacker, causing what was a graceful lunge aimed for his neck to turn into a clumsy tumble across the encampment. Nobunaga just raised an eyebrow in calloused disinterest as the injured Warlord quickly rose back to his feet, casting an image of a shadowy giant across the distance between the two. Both then heard the telltale sounds of the other Yaksha ninja emerging from their hiding places, but the Demon King paid no attention to their presence, as Hydreigon had already moved to deal with them. Rather, he simply let out a hollow, disturbing laugh at the situation, which managed to shake even Kotaro's resolve.

"Heh, you make me look sane." the demonic shinobi remarked, before lunging at Nobunaga again, his spiked gauntlet aimed for the man's neck.

* * *

Morning ascended upon Greenleaf, casting a variety of reds and yellows across the sky, and sending the warm rays of the sun across the garden-like Kingdom, and into the room of its Warlord. Most people in the sleepy, laid-back town would not usually get up at the crack of dawn, but Motonari had not been a warlord for as long as he was by sleeping in. After sitting up in bed, removing his nightcap with a yawn and stretching out his arms, the grassy-haired man quickly changed into his usual attire and headed off into the castle. After picking up his cup of morning tea, Motonari headed off to his usual destination of the Greenleaf library for some light reading, only to stop mid-step outside the doorway to the strategy room.

He gazed inside and saw the twin Warlords hunched over the octagonal table in the center, peering over a variety of maps, papers and wooden pieces, clearly trying to formulate a strategy to reclaim their home. The other Warlord could not make out what exactly they were saying, but he did manage to catch onto the mass of yawns between each slurred word, and decided to intervene.

"Good morning." he greeted cheerfully, entering the room via the open doorway.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Motonari." Kazumi, who was the closest to him out of the two, edged out, followed by a deep yawn. Motonari was taken aback for a moment at her appearance when she momentarily turned around to greet him; dark circles clung underneath her bloodshot blue eyes and her hair was noticeable disheveled to the point where it could bear some resemblance to her brother's. The man's eyes quickly darted to the male twin, who was standing across the table from her, and he could tell that the boy shared many of her symptoms.

"My... have you two been in here all night?" Tadashi was the one to answer with a curt nod, before continuing to relate an observation to his sister in a mechanical, monotone way that betrayed his exhaustion, before repeating verbatim as if he hadn't said it in the first place. Motonari let out a sympathetic sigh at the sight, which drew the attention of the twins again.

"You two should probably go get some sleep, I'm afraid you won't be able to contribute much to the battle if you can't keep your eyes open." Tadashi wearily shook his head in a tired disagreement, a sentiment that was echoed by his usually upbeat sister.

"I'm sorry, but we have to get Aurora back. We can't afford to slip up again." Motonari just smiled empathetically at that, before taking a sip from the porcelain cup in his hand.

"And you will, but I think it's important that you can get to Aurora in the first place. I can finalize the strategy you two came up with, but part of the duties of being a Warlord is ensuring you're healthy enough to lead a kingdom." his reply seemed to be the only encouragement the sleep deprived Warlords needed, and both twins immediately sunk to the floor. The Grass-Type Warlord let out an uneasy chuckle at that sight, removing his coat and placing it over the sleeping girl, before looking over the strategy the two had been trying to devise.

Sadly, what had appeared to be a promising strategy at first had seemingly been affected by the Normal-Type Warlord's delirious exhaustion and dissolved into chaos, as the position of the wooden pieces on the map, not to mention the various pieces of paper scattered about that had a mishmash of coherent thoughts and nonsensical gibberish scribbled on them, had indicated. Motonari immediately went to work, his mind pouring over the bits and pieces of competent information that the two had come up with, rearranging them and then adding his own ideas to them.

"Of all places I would expect to find you, this had to be one of the last." Motonari had no need to turn around, he was too deep in thought to focus on much else, but still knew who the refined voice belonged to.

"Naoshige. It's been quite some time, old friend." the Auroran nodded and walked up to the table, stopping momentarily to look at the sleeping warlords in concern before shifting his gaze to the geographical map of Aurora that was littered with various accessories.

"Yes, it has. But I'm still amazed that they managed to talk you out of going into retirement." the grassy-haired man chuckled at that and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Well, it wasn't just them. Takakage wouldn't let me go that easily, and I was a bit afraid of what would happen to Greenleaf. And, please don't tell anyone this, but I will admit that battle reawakened that love of strategy in me and Servine. It has been quite some time since we had to fend of an attack." it was Naoshige's turn to chuckle, and he gave a silent nod before redirecting his gaze at the clustered oak table. He raised an eyebrow at an observation and turned back to the other Warlord.

"I haven't told you about the tunnels before, have I?"

"Tunnels?" Naoshige nodded at Motonari's question, brushing aside many of the wooden pieces and papers that covered the map. He then took a nearby pencil that looked ready to break any minute, and started tracing a series of crude, crooked lines stemming from the castle until they became a network around it.

"Yes; there's a series of tunnels that run underneath Aurora's castle and the surrounding area. Takanobu had them built secretly in case of an emergency, such as an overwhelming attack." Motonari's eyes lightened up as he looked over a particular line on the map.

"So that was how you flanked me all those years back..." he muttered nostalgically before gazing back down at the map. "Do you think Ignis has found them yet?"

"I doubt it. I believe I am the only warrior in Aurora to know of them, until recently..." he trailed off, thinking back to the trio who had recently joined them. Motonari looked at him in curiosity, before the Auroran shook his head.

"Nevermind. I had most of them filled in years ago out of fear of the very thing I'm about to propose, but if we can get to the one on the outskirts of the city here, we might be able to sneak back into the castle undetected and take them by surprise."

"Yes, that should work... Ah, would you look at the time?" Naoshige looked up to the window the mossy man was gazing at, to see that the sun was now firmly set in the sky, casting its golden light down on the surrounding landscape.

"Takakage and Motoharu should be waking up by now, would you mind fetching them? There are a few final touches I still need to add to our strategy, and I would like to speak with them before we depart."

"Of course." Naoshige replied, before stopping mid-step and looking at the two resting Warlords. "Should I-"

"I think it would be rather cruel of us to interrupt what little rest they'll get. I'll inform them of the plan once they wake up." Motonari replied, still peering over the map. Naoshige let out a quiet acknowledgement and headed out the doorway. A few minutes passed, with only the sounds of Motonari shuffling around various items scattered across the table to keep him company before two sets of footsteps began to echo down the hallway.

"You called us, Fa-" Takakage cut himself off at the sight of the two unconscious Warlords, taking a reactionary step backwards before being able to fully process the scene.

"Yes," Motonari began, completely unfazed, turning around to face his sons. "As you know, the Aurorans have not only been gracious enough to let me continue as Greenleaf's Warlord, but have also appointed me as their strategist. So; unfortunately I'll be unable to manage Greenleaf from Aurora, and I would like the two of you to do it in my stead."

"Really? You'd trust us to rule Greenleaf?" Motoharu asked.

"Yes. Ekei will be there to help, and advise the two of you, but I think this could be a very good learning experience for the both of you." Motoharu looked elated at his father's affirmation, but the shorter sibling only bit his bottom lip in slight disdain.

"Father..."

"Hm?"

"Please; take me with you." inwardly, the grassy-haired man was taken aback at his son's sudden request, but all he showed of it was a slight smile and a scratch of the head.

"I'm not sure that would be the best idea, Takakage. I don't want to risk you getting hurt-"

"Father, being a warrior is a risk itself, even if weapons have fallen out of use. Besides; who's to say one day I won't trip and fall down the stairs and get hurt all the same?"

"Takakage-" the boy in question shook his head, followed by a sigh.

"I know what you're going to say, Father, but I'm not a child either. I'll stay close, and do my best to learn from your example. And this would also be a great opportunity for you to teach me more about tactics." Motonari let our a weary sigh, fully aware that his son was trying to play to his scholastic side, and more distressed that the ploy was working.

_"Perhaps there's not that much I can teach him, if he's already capable of manipulating me like this. I should be scared as a parent, but I can't help but feel a bit of pride as a strategist."_ he thought, letting a unnoticeable smile break through his placid façade.

"Well..." he began, hesitation still fresh in his mind. "I suppose so, but _only_ if you listen to me."

Takakage grew a grin a mile long at his father's acquiescence, and Motonari turned to face his other son, who was busy counting the notches in the wood of a nearby bookshelf.

"And what about you, Motoharu? Will you be fine by yourself?" the mossy man's questioning shook the older teen out of his reverie, and he immediately refocused his attention on the other inhabitants of the room.

"Sure." was the simple reply he gave, but both Motonari and Takakage could pick up on what was left unsaid. The head of the Mori family replied with a simple nod of his own, and gave a few final words before turning back to the octagonal table.

"Very well. Pack whatever you want to bring Takakage, within reason, and go get something to eat. Oh, and would you be so kind as to fetch Ekei, Motoharu? I have something I need to talk to the two of you about, as well." the two teens quickly gave a courteous bow and filled out of the room, and Takakage thought he detected the sound of his father brushing aside the clutter on the table and replacing it with a new map.

* * *

Ignis Castle was considerably more quite than usual, being devoid of more than half of its usual occupants for more than a day. Even Hideyoshi had taken notice of this by now, and after pacing back and forth in frustration at learning the truth, followed by a lengthy rant to no one in particular, the Monferno-like man started to calm down. But he was also bored now, and decided on entertaining himself in a manner that would seem strange to any onlookers; sneaking around his own castle.

As one of the remaining warriors and his partner hastily walked down a vacant hallway and turned a corner, having to cover extra ground on his rounds due to the sudden shortage in manpower, Hideyoshi's head popped out from behind one of the beams in the ceiling. The warlord then dropped down from his concealed perch, landing silently on the floor like he had just infiltrated an enemy castle.

The cream-wearing warlord quickly edged over to the wall and began clinging to it as he sneaked around the hallway before turning a corner. He looked down at the Chimchar next to him, the small Pokémon mimicking his every motion.

"Ya know," he began, clearly directing his comment towards his partner. "I could've been a ninja if I wanted. I've got the skill, the smarts, and the roguish charm to boot."

His partner let out a series of screeches that would roughly translate to; "Well, two out of three. Kind of.". Hideyoshi's head snapped from looking around a blind corner to the small fire type.

"Whaddya mean I don't have the skill?" he asked indignantly before dismissing the comment.

"Eh, no matter. I choose the humble path of being the Warlord that's gonna unite Ransei. It's nothin' that glamorous, I know. And with two kingdoms under my belt, I'm one step closer to realizing that dream!" he shouted out, pumping a fist in the air energetically, drawing the attention of a few passing warriors who awkwardly shuffled around the oblivious warlord. After a few minutes of just standing there, he quickly dropped the pose and immediately entered into a brief lapse of astute clarity.

"Still, I can't believe that Aurora managed to defeat Motonari. There's no way we could have beaten someone like him in our current state, so how'd a bunch of greenhorns take down one of Ransei's most renowned strategists!?" Hideyoshi contemplated almost enviously, putting a hand to his chin in thought while his brown eyes began to wander absently around the hallway.

"Maybe he threw the fight... nah. Or maybe Motonari's been secretly dead this entire time and his warriors have made it look like he's still alive!? No, that's the stuff of conspiracy theories... Is it possible they caught him off guard? Maybe he was sick? Vacation? Ugh... it doesn't matter now. They still have a kingdom, and could move to retake Aurora at any minute, knowing that hotheaded one..." Hideyoshi's assessment continued, while his Chimchar looked on in fascination at this rarely seen side to his partner. The Fire-Type Warlord's eye went wide as he was struck with a realization like a bolt of lightning.

"Or they could even take the back roads and attack here! Agh! We've spread our forces to thin! Quickly, Chimchar, we have to get the defenses ready! Ignis won't fall on my watch!" Hideyoshi declared, immediately bolting off after that, his Pokémon struggling to keep up with his breakneck pace.

* * *

Hanbei was casually walking down the sparse hallway of Aurora Castle, doing his best to familiarize himself with the layout of the still unfamiliar structure, all the while lost in thought.

_"Hmm... I wonder what's taking them so long to get here? I was certain Aurora would have arrived by now... Is it possible they went to Ignis? Probably not, they wouldn't have even attacked us if Hideyoshi didn't throw the first punch."_

Too lost in thought to really pay attention to his surroundings, Hanbei collided with a passing figure, falling down on his back and losing his floppy hat in the process.

"I'm so sorry, sir! Please forgive me!" Yukinaga cried out quickly, followed by a low bow. Hanbei smiled uncomfortably at the gesture, standing back up and grabbing the beret that had been retrieved by his Pikachu.

"It's fine, no harm done." he replied cheerfully, but the warrior only seemed to quiver at his statement. The tactician in white let out a sigh. _"Kanbei really needs to be more forgiving..."_

"Really. I mean it." the terrified warrior managed to stand upright again, but still avoided eye contact with the younger Warlord. Hanbei let out a small sigh in contemplation as the gears in his head began to turn once more.

"Actually, while I'm thinking about it, there is something you can do for me, Yukinaga." the warrior snapped to attention at the boy's statement, managing to stare straight ahead even as Hanbei started to pace back and forth. "I'd appreciate it if you could take some men and go check up on Hideyoshi."

Hanbei could feel the confusion radiating off the man at his request/order, but he managed to keep any questions bottled up and headed back down the direction he came from. Hanbei gave a silent nod to himself in approval at his actions; if Hideyoshi really was under attack then the reinforcements could very well turn the tide of the battle, or at least secure the warlord an escape route. If the Aurora Army decided to retake Aurora, he was confident they could win without a handful of warriors, and even if they somehow lost, there would be more warriors and Pokémon in fighting shape for the next battle. It was a win-win, per his assessment.

Content with his action, Hanbei made his way through the castle, through one of the bedrooms, and out to a balcony that overlooked the sparse courtyard. He sat down in the singular wooden chair on it, threw his feet over the railing while pulling the gold-emblazoned hat down over his face, and promptly fell asleep with his Pikachu in his lap.

* * *

In the training room of Aurora Castle, a large rectangular room that was adorned with various pieces of equipment for both human and Pokémon to use, a particularly chipped and worn section of the wooden floor seemingly shifted. No one paid it any heed, with all the occupants of the room to preoccupied in sparring with each other in preparation for the upcoming battle to notice. But then the floorboard shifted again, and was promptly pushed up and aside to reveal a sizable tunnel underneath, which a group of nine warriors emerged from. They were too busy helping each other out of the secret passage, and making sure they were all accounted for, to even notice that they were surrounded by the majority of the Ignis Army. It was only after Oichi took notice, and tapped her lord on the shoulder to inform them of their predicament, that the rest of the Aurora Army took a collective glance around the room. Following that, and a mass of vapid stares from the still-confused Ignites, the reactions from the Aurorans ranged from sheepish to coarse.

Motonari and his Servine took a voluntary step forward, which caused Takakage and his Treecko to follow, and the mossy man turned to look back at his comrades.

"Go on ahead, we won't be too long." The remaining warriors either gave him a nod or a quick thank you, though it was clear all were hesitant about leaving him outnumbered against a horde of opponents with a type advantage, and quickly bolted through the door, which was close enough to their point of entry that they managed to get through it unhindered. By that time, the Fire-using army had formed something of a crude semi-circle around Motonari and his son, but the Strategist-Warlord seemingly paid little heed to his situation and rather opted to absentmindedly count the number of enemies.

"Nine against two? I wouldn't say this is exactly a fair fight. What say you, Servine?" the serpentine Pokémon standing before him let out a lazy cry, which came across more as a yawn.

"Eleven, father. You missed the two behind that particularly large one." Takakage stated.

"Ah, so I did. Well, that evens it out a bit." Motonari then cleared his throat and extended his hand slightly. "I do believe it is courtesy to let the defenders have the first move."

What followed was a collective order to attack that was loud enough that it was heard by the feeling Aurorans, who quickly spun around to spare a second glance at the door.

"My lord, trust me when I say that Motonari has gotten out of worse situations." Naoshige interjected, trying to draw their attention back to the task at hand.

"Mr. Nabeshima is right, my lord," Oichi began. "And if that was loud enough that we heard it, then no doubt that the rest of the castle did as well."

Tadashi nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly, and refocused himself on the path ahead. "Right. We'll have to hurry then." The group advanced once more, rounding a corner and hurrying up the staircase, surprised to find the hallway they were in completely vacant. They moved forward cautiously, the metal of the twin's boots hindering any stealth they could possibly have by causing the old floors to creak with nearly every step. The moment they found themselves at a fork that spilt in three different directions, both twins realized something was off.

"Scatter them; use Fire Spin." The Aurorans managed to dive out of the way as a spinning pillar of flames, weak enough that it would not do any sustainable damage to them or their surroundings, erupted in the center of the crossroads. Tadashi managed to glance at his left before diving away, catching a small glimpse of Kanbei's recognizable pitch-black robes. Before he could order a counter-attack, Kanbei ordered another attack.

"Smog." it was only seconds after the attack had been ordered that the corridors were filled with a vile haze, obscuring vision and all sense of direction, and causing the inflicted to cover their faces in an attempt to prevent any more coughing, and either close their eyes or risk obscuring their vision even more with smoke-induced tears. Kazumi and her Eevee managed to stumble out of the black cloud, and under the grip of panic began to run down the randomly chosen hallway.

The warlord, after a considerable amount of stumbling down the hall, finally edged her blue eyes open to see that she was separated from the rest of her army.

_"Great. I got separated again. I really hope this doesn't turn into a running gag..."_ the girl's thoughts expressed themselves via a heavy sigh, and the brunette started to look around her surroundings for some indication of where the battle was, only to find none. How far did she run after the attack?

_"Lost in my own castle. Wow; that's embarrassing."_ Kazumi let out another dejected sigh as she moved to a blind turn, only to collide with someone else on the other side, who looked like he had been to busy waking up to pay close attention to his surroundings. Both fell to the ground with a painful crash, but Hanbei was the first to get back to his feet.

"Ah, I'm sorry." he apologized, helping the downed girl back to her own feet. It took a few minutes for both sides to finally register what had happened, and when Hanbei finally shook off the last of his sleepy stupor and realized that she was not supposed to be in the castle, he took a cautionary, if not casual, step back. Kazumi on the other hand looked at him in gratitude, and slight confusion, at why he elected to help her instead of attack her.

"Thank you... Hanbei, was it?" Hanbei smiled at her friendly gesture, and gave a slight nod.

"Yep, that would be me; Hanbei Takenaka, genius-extraordinaire and half the reason that Hideyoshi's army hasn't fallen apart at the seams."

"And I suppose your ghost friend is the other half?" she scowled slightly as she asked that rhetoric question, and the tactician before her picked up the message that Kanbei had probably gone overboard again.

"Eh, more like 37.5%. Hideyoshi can pull his own weight when he has to." Hanbei then let out a slight chuckle at the situation, followed by a shake of the head, that managed to draw the attention of the Aurora Warlord and his Pikachu.

"Speaking of him; I kind of have an obligation to Hideyoshi, with me being his tactician and whatnot. And, as much as I enjoy chatting with pretty girls in the middle of a battlefield; this is war. No hard feelings, right?" Kazumi didn't really know how to respond to that, or even what to respond to in the first place; how nonchalantly he just said that, the fact that they had been casually carrying out a conversation in the middle of a battle with the enemy, that she was slightly flattered he called her pretty, or just the sheer surreality of it all. Her Eevee had picked up the message and trotted in front of it's partner.

"Ladies first." he said, extending his open hand. It wasn't a taunt or a snub of any kind, which again surprised his opponent, just a chivalrous deferment. Kazumi let out a chuckle at the sight, which caused Hanbei to arch an eyebrow.

"What?" the white-wearing Ignite asked, stifling a chuckle of his own.

"Well, I just find it funny that a strategist like you is just so... casual."

"Strategist doesn't always mean ruthless. I keep trying to get Kanbei to realize this, but- ah, there I go again." he reprimanded himself with a chuckle, followed by a shake of the head. The female twin caught what he was getting at, and gave a determined nod to herself.

"All right. Eevee!" she commanded, delaying her full order long enough to let Hanbei get ready for the battle. "Use Quick Attack!"

The brown Pokémon sprang forward from it's position in front of the girl, sprinting from one opposite end of the hall to another in an attempt to disorient Hanbei's Pikachu. The edge of Hanbei's lips quivered upwards slightly, the only indication of the smile he was suppressing.

"Counter with a Thunder Wave!" a few sparks flew from the red pouches on his Pikachu's cheeks, followed by a surge of electricity that manifested itself in a wave. Eevee was caught in the middle of it, stopping the Evolution Pokémon mid-charge as its entire body went numb with the electricity, before it fell over sideways like a statue. Kazumi went wide-eyed at that, but to her relief Eevee managed to get back to its haunches.

"Now, follow up with Agility." While Hanbei's Pikachu was busy using the speed-enhancing move, Kazumi knew she needed to act before the gap in speed was to large to overcome.

"Shadow Ball!" she cried out. Her Eevee managed to force a stiff glance back at her, as if to make sure she wanted to use what was normally a 'last resort' move so early, but the steely determination in her eyes destroyed any doubt the Pokémon had. It opened its maw, forming the ball of dark energy with a surprising amount of speed, and Hanbei quickly issued another order.

"Counter with Electro Ball!" Pikachu responded to the incoming ball of energy even faster than its opponent, quickly charging up another ball of yellow electricity on its lightning shaped tail, spinning around and launching it forward at the attack. The two balls of energy collided, seemingly trying to fuse together for a few seconds as they were morphed from their spherical forms into other shapes during their short struggle for dominance, before Pikachu's Electo Ball smashed through the Shadow Ball and collided with a stiff Eevee head-on. The small normal-type was sent tumbling down the hallway, and made no attempt to get back up after it came to a halt at Kazumi's porcelain-colored boots. She slowly reached down and scooped up the unconscious (or extremely paralyzed) Pokémon, gaping at how quickly she had been bested.

"How'd you..." she trailed off, eliciting a chuckle from Hanbei.

"Fact is; I'm a genius!" he stated cheerfully, grinning widely as his purple eyes displayed a certain sense of pride at the battle. "Anyways, it's been fun, but I think I have to go bail out Kanbei now."

It was only after the Ignis tactician had said that, and started to walk past her, that she realized Kanbei's battle had spilled into the hallway behind her, and that the ghostly tactician was losing under a barrage of Rollouts.

"Thunder Wave, Pikachu." The Pokémon sent out another wave of electricity, one that was noticed by the Aurorans too late, and enveloped the three attacking Pokémon in one go. Kanbei's battered Lampent, which was safe from the paralyzing force due to it's levitation, gave what would equate to a grateful bow to Hanbei and his Pikachu. Everyone eyed Hanbei as he walked over, though the curiosity at why he had yet to order another attack was palpable.

"Time to go Kanbei." he said casually, eyeing the shocked warlord.

"Wha- No! We must press our advantage and hold the line." the other strategist sighed in what came across as disappointment, shaking his head like a frustrated parent at their child's stubbornness.

"Kanbei, if Aurora's Walords are up here, that means that they've either beaten our garrison or are finishing up as I speak. And I may be a miracle worker, but we can't fight a whole army on our own. We might as well cut our losses and fall back. Besides, your Lampent looks like it's going to pass out at any second." Kanbei's eyes darted to his Ghost-type partner, watching it as it almost hypnotically swayed back and forth, clearing struggling to stay afloat.

"Fine..." he conceded, his voice barely above a whisper. The albino gently grabbed his Pokémon from its place, letting it rest in his enshrouded arms, and awkwardly followed the shorter tactician to the stairwell while their opponents looked on in a strange mixture of disbelief, amusement and awe. As the two began heading down the staircase, Hanbei turned back an gave a friendly wave goodbye, a smile plastered on his face, before catching up with his humiliated counterpart. No one said anything after that.


	9. Chapter 9

"We did it..." Tadashi sighed out, leaning over the balcony that was adjacent to his room.

"Bui!" his partner, who was sitting down on the wooden railing, responded with an upbeat affirmative. The two were currently looking over the slumbering city of Aurora, watching the peaceful town that had been spared the trouble of being a battlefield finish the last of its daily business as the sun began to set. It had been hours since Ignis had been shown the door, and the Aurorans had managed to settle back into life as if it was never interrupted in the first place. But, despite things returning to the status quo, the loss of Aurora in the first place still weighed heavily on the teen's thoughts.

_"Even if only for a day, I still failed."_ it was a thought that ran through his head like a broken record, continually reminding him of his inability to defend the kingdom he had been charged with guiding. His partner could practically feel the disappointment radiating off him, had their link not already made it known, and trotted over to the teen, rubbing it's small head against his vambrace in an attempt to comfort him. Tadashi smiled, scratching his Eevee behind the ear in appreciation, but that did little to ease his worrying. It seemed that someone else had picked up on his discontentment, and Tadashi stood up straight as he heard the sound of metallic footsteps echoing out of his room. He turned to look, catching his twin out of the corner of his eye, but quickly turned back to look at the now-descending night sky.

"Hey, sis." he acknowledged forlornly, but simply continued staring at the bright stars and their dark blue backdrop.

"You down too?"

"Yeah. Wait, how did y-" Tadashi's confusion shook him from his doldrums, and he turned around to look at his approaching twin, who only offered a smile in return.

"We're twins, remember? There's not much you can hide from me, though I don't think you were really trying in the first place." the male twin let a bittersweet smile cross his features for a moment before turning back to the railing.

"I failed. Failed Uncle, failed you, failed Aurora, and everyone who relied on us." Tadashi's disappointment, if not already evident in his suppressed tone, was easy to see, having been plastered on his face so prominently it looked etched.

"It's part of learning to be a warlord." Kazumi replied with a certain sagacity that gave cause for Tadashi and his Eevee to focus on her once more. "It might be a cliché, brother, but we can't win them all. And if you set your standards so impossibly high, you'll never be able to move ahead."

He nodded slightly, knowing she was right, but the guilt over the cost of his hasty decision could not be shaken so easily. His counterpart saw this, and placed a sympathetic hand on his armor-covered shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone; you have me, Oichi, Naoshige, Motonari, the kids, and Eevee by your side."

Tadashi smiled at that, one that better showed his gratitude than words could have expressed, and gave a nod in appreciation. "Thanks."

Kazumi could tell that there were thoughts that still troubled the teen, but was happy with the fact he did not seem as depressed as he was moments ago, and gave a silent nod in response before leaving him to think in peace. He stayed silent for a while, simply staring at the stars with his Eevee, before finally letting out a weary sigh.

"Where are we going, Eevee?" his Pokémon shot him a quizzical look, one that begged for further extrapolation. "Maybe I should be asking what we're trying to do in the first place? We got into this rivalry with Hideyoshi because we want to defend Aurora, and we attacked Greenleaf because we needed to get stronger to survive. But is what we're doing actually good?"

"Bui. Ee bui." Tadashi rolled his eyes at the Pokémon's observation.

"Sure, that's easy enough for you to say; you are a Pokémon after all. I guess that does bring up the question of how Motonari managed to pull it off, though." his partner's reply came in its usual manner, and Tadashi understood it as a deadpan along the lines of "He's Motonari.". The Co-Warlord of Aurora let out dry chuckle at the observation.

"Yeah, his reputation really does exceed him." he remarked, before the slight smile he had dissipated. "But I'm not Motonari; I can't rely on some reputation to scare off any wannabe invaders. If I want to make sure Aurora's safe, then we will have to go on the offensive again and end this constant back-and-forth with Hideyoshi." The chocolate-haired twin turned from the balcony and back in to his room, only to stop right as he began to go through the divider. He slapped his forehead and gritted his teeth, frustration making it's way back to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Great. Back to square one." he began. "It was going on the offensive that put Aurora in danger in the first place, but if I just sit around then it will still be in danger... Maybe I am in over my head?" his Eevee looked sympathetically at the teen, whose dilemma only seemed to deepen with each passing second he put thought to it.

"And even if we do take Ignis, what then? Will another threat just show up?" unable to contemplate a complete solution. The Pokémon decided to interrupt his worrying with some advice of it's own.

" _Warlord or not;_ _you're just one person."_ that though rang through Tadashi's head like a bolt of lightning, though he was uncertain whether it was his own thought or his Pokémon's. Either way, the epiphany seemed to satisfy him for the moment, and he stole a glance at his bed.

"I guess I'll have to sleep on it..." he muttered, before turning in for the night.

* * *

"Good morning, Mr. Motonari." Kazumi greeted as she came upon the grassy haired man in the dining room, who was busy peering over a book while sipping a cup of still-steaming tea.

"Good morning as well, my lady." he said with a smile, craning his neck to meet her gaze as she passed by him. She returned the smile, and headed towards the kitchen doorway, but Motonari quickly produced a letter from inside his coat pocket before she could.

"Ah, before you go; I found this letter from Motoharu and Ekei earlier this morning. As expected, the force we sent to Ignis was rebuffed." Kazumi gave a nod, not exactly surprised by the news. When Motonari had told her and brother yesterday after their nap that he intended to send a handful of his warriors to attack Ignis, naturally both were skeptical of the plan given the massive type disadvantage. The older man had assured them that their goal was to merely keep Hideyoshi from interfering in the battle for Aurora, and that there was very little chance of them actually winning. The girl turned back to the kitchen doorway to make herself some tea, but was stopped by Motonari again.

"What I do find to be interesting, though, was that they reported they were caught off guard by a relief force that came from the direction of Aurora." the female Warlord raised an eyebrow at this revelation, her focus shifting from preparing the caffeinated drink to Motonari's report.

"I did not think that there was someone who could have predicted we would attack both Kingdoms at the same time." immediately her thoughts traveled back to the cheery tactician she talked to, and was crushed by, yesterday.

"Actually, I think there might be." that statement got Motonari's attention, and, though it could have just been the way the sunlight leaked through the window, it looked like he had a certain twinkle of excitement in his eyes.

"Who would that be?"

"Hanbei Takenaka. He's Hideyoshi's chief tactician, and managed to beat Eevee without her landing a single hit." Motonari was definitely interested in the news of another tactician, one that could possibly offer a challenge, though he still maintained his same laid-back composure and turned in his seat to face her.

"Could you describe him?"

"Purple eyes, black hair, wears a lot of yellows and white. I'm pretty sure he's the only member of the Ignis army with an Electric Type, too." She extrapolated, eyes tilted to the side as she probed her mind for details.

_"Kinda cute too..."_ she quickly mused to herself, before letting out a giggle at the silly thought. Motonari, who was blissfully ignorant of the final adjective, nodded.

"I see. I'll have to keep an eye out for him the next time we cross blades with Ignis." Motonari turned back to his book, taking an idle sip from the porcelain cup that sat near it.

"Oh; I should tell you Hideyoshi has another tactician." Motonari looked up again, but before he could ask any further questions Kazumi beat him to the punch.

"Kanbei Kuroda," she could tell he was about to ask for a description of him as well. "You'll know him when you see him." the female warlord then turned into the kitchen, leaving the grassy-haired man to wonder what that meant.

* * *

Morning came like any other, shining golden rays of light and warmth down on the inhabitants of Aurora, but the only effect they seemed to have on a sleeping warlord as they sneaked through the curtains of his room was to cause him to roll over and continue sleeping. It was bliss to him, and his subconscious refused to let go of it so easily, falling back into slumber for an indiscriminate amount of time that seemed to go on forever. Unfortunately for him; his twin seemed to have other ideas.

"Time to wake up." Kazumi said in an almost maternal sense, striding into the room and pulling the curtains open, letting sunlight flood the once dim room. Tadashi groaned in irritation, before rolling over an burying his face in his pillow.

"Five more minutes..." came his muffled reply. The female twin sighed. Had it been anyone else, the scene would have been entertaining, but since it happened to be her brother and the Co-Warlord, it was just unbecoming.

"It's already eleven," she replied, shaking his drowsy figure vigorously. "C'mon, Tadashi. You can't just sleep all day."

He finally relented in the form of pushing her hand away and sitting upright, rubbing some of the sleep from his eyes, and was clearly less than pleased. "Okay, okay, I'm up. Now, can you please leave so I can get changed?"

She obliged, quickly leaving the sparse room so her sibling could change out of his sleepwear. As she waited outside for him to finish, idly wondering if he had just gone back to sleep, Mitsunari turned a corner and walked down the hallway, stopping as he saw her.

"Miss Kazumi, what are you doing loitering outside your brother's room?" he spoke in his usual abrasive tone, but it was clear he was at least trying, and failing, to be polite. She just offered up a smile, trying herself to exercise patience.

"Well, I have a few things I need him to get for me, but-" she was cut off as the door swung open, to reveal a fully dressed and still sleepy Tadashi.

"Perfect timing, brother. Here;" she began, handing him a sheet of paper that had a copious amount of items written on it. "I'll need you to go out and run some errands. Also, stop by the barber while you're out."

Her commands managed to shock him awake, and he immediately started to object. "What!? Why?" The other twin answered with a dexterity that managed to surprise both Tadashi and Mitsunari, snatching the maedate out from its place in his hair and causing the chocolate mess to fall over his forehead and eyes.

"H-Hey! Give that back!" he ordered, flailing around blindly in an attempt to take back his headpiece, before dropping his arms in a pathetic manner and letting out a heavy sigh as it quickly became clear he would not be able to accomplish anything.

"Fine," he conceded with another heavy sigh, somehow managing to snatch the golden ornament from his sister's loose grip this time, and proceeded to fix it back in his hair. "I'll get a haircut... mother." he mumbled low enough that the other twin failed to hear the insult, but still caught his acquiescence.

"But only if he comes too." the warlord quickly added, pointing at Mitsunari. The boy stepped back, clearly taken off guard by the sudden condition, the 'hair' of his headdress shooting up wildly in all directions.

"W-What!? Why me!?" he demanded. Tadashi moved to pull the headpiece off him, but Mitsunari managed to take a quick step back and clutched onto it like his life depended on it, pulling the headgear down over his own long bangs.

"There's no need for that!" he exclaimed, his voice edgy but not particularly hostile. "I'll come quietly."

Kazumi sighed at the scene that was unfolding before her, but said nothing and reached down to the purple sash that clung tightly around her waist, pulling a leather pouch from underneath it. She tossed it at her brother, the jingling of the coins inside serving as a warning, and he managed to catch it mid-flight. He opened it, peering at the contents inside, before closing it again and dropping it in his leather satchel.

"I guess I can get an early lunch..." he mused, before letting out a dry chuckle at how quickly his priorities had changed from defending a kingdom to errands and haircuts. In a way, it was alleviating, and perhaps even calming, that his biggest concerns for the time being were the mundane.

"Well, I guess we should get going." The warlord in white headed down the way Mitsunari came, his hastily strapped on black armor clattering with every step, and with a Mitsunari who was too busy grumbling about his luck to look straight in tow. Kazumi was about to go on her own way after watching the two disappear behind a wooden corner, but Oichi, who had happened to be in one of the neighboring rooms, poked her head out.

"My lady, may I ask why you asked Lord Tadashi to run the errands? We're not terribly busy today." Kazumi put a hand to her chin at Oichi's questioning.

"Well, he _really_ needed the haircut, so part of it was just convenience. But I also think getting out of the castle for a little while can help him clear his head."

"Is he not feeling well?"

"In a way. I guess losing Aurora had a bigger impact on him than I thought, and being warlord is already stressful enough as it is..." the girl began, developing a forlorn look herself before snapping back to her usually cheery demeanor. "Well, it makes me all the more happy we have you and Naoshige. Sometimes I think the kingdom would fall apart if it weren't for you two."

Oichi blushed at the compliment, clearly uneasy about the praise she was receiving. "Please, my lady, you make it sound like I something important. I just help out in the kitchen and do the laundry."

"And mend sheets and clothes when they tear, took the time to wash, polish and wax the floors, fixed the hole in the wall caused by my previous sparring match, make sure we always have enough supplies, ensure the Pokémon are in good health and even take care of us when we get sick. You even fixed Masanori's arm when he dislocated it. Honestly, Oichi; you're too hard on yourself."

Oichi looked down at the floor as her friend continued to list off reasons, stuttering as her face became redder and redder with each statement until it looked like a Tomato berry.

"You know; take the rest of the day off, Oichi." the shy girl looked up to see her lady grabbing the pile of sheets that she was carrying from her arms, only to become even more embarrassed as she tried to protest.

"That's an order." Kazumi stated kindly, though adding an authoritative weight to her tone. Oichi gave a slight bow, slightly smiling at the command, and quickly went off.

* * *

"So... You're _not_ mad at us?" Hanbei asked hesitantly, his eyes following Hideyoshi as the Monferno-like Warlord paced back and forth at the base of his throne in a ludicrous manner.

"Nah. I'm more mad that you guys attacked Aurora without my permission, but it's the thought that counts. Besides; those reinforcements you sent yesterday turned out to save our hides, so I guess I have that to thank you for too." he replied, before spinning around and sauntering up the steps to his jade throne. The warlord threw his feet over one of the massive armrests, resting his helmetless head on the other like he was laying on some sort of couch. Neither strategist made a move to leave, being as Hideyoshi had yet to dismiss them, but the situation became increasingly awkward as Hideyoshi continued to stare at the ceiling without moving a muscle. Finally, as Hanbei opened his mouth to question the cream-wearing Warlord, he let out an unusually heavy sigh.

"Ya know," he began, shifting his weight so he would be sitting upright on the massive edifice. "I've been doin' some thinking."

Hanbei immediately suppressed a dozen snide remarks that threatened to escape his mouth, and quickly stepped back in favor of his counterpart. Kanbei picked up the message with a certain disdain, and approached his lord.

"About what, my lord?" Hideyoshi smiled at that, which caused a few knots to form in both the strategist's stomachs, and the answer he gave unnerved them even more.

"Walk with me."

To both of the tactician's surprise, after Hideyoshi hopped down from his throne, he led them outside the castle and into the heart of the brick-built city. When the trio came to the middle of the city square, Hideyoshi stopped abruptly and spun around.

"Now, tell me: whaddya see?" Hanbei just scratched the back of his head in response, not exactly sure what his lord was getting at, while Kanbei looked around at his surroundings.

"Sky. Mountains. Bricks. People-" before he could continue prattling out obvious observations, Hideyoshi interjected.

"Yes! But what makes them different?"

"They're... not part of an army?" Hanbei offered cautiously, trying to figure out if Hideyoshi had just issued a trick question.

"Well, obviously. C'mon! You two can do better than that!" Hanbei put a hand to his chin in contemplation, sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth instinctively, while Kanbei maintained his deadpan but still furrowed his brow.

"They do not have Pokémon?" Kanbei postulated, his eyes narrowing in hesitation as he spoke. Hideyoshi grinned at his half-question, clearly receiving the answer he wanted.

"Righto! But _why_ is the question."

"Why?" Hanbei repeated, causing Hideyoshi to nod quickly.

"Yes. Why is that? Why can only so many people form links with Pokémon?"

"Bloodlines. Merit. Chance. No one knows for certain." Kanbei replied in the same bland manner he usually spoke in.

"Well, I wanna change that. I'm gonna make a Ransei where everyone can link with Pokémon!" Hideyoshi declared. Hanbei smiled at his lord in response, amused at the idealistic, if not slightly naïve, vision, but happy that his Lord's ambition was for something altruistic. Kanbei just maintained his deadpan.

"That is... surprisingly noble of you, my lord. But how would you go about making such a dream a reality?" the youth asked. The narcoleptic next to him was unsure whether Kanbei was being genuine in his curiosity, of subtly chiding his lord for something so idealistic.

"Simple; you two know about the old legends; how if someone unites all the Kingdoms the Legendary Pokémon that created Ransei will appear?" the tactician in white snorted.

"Of course we know them; they're the cause of the war that's been going on for the past few centuries."

"Well, a Pokémon that's powerful enough to create entire regions could possibly have the power to grant people the ability to link with Pokémon, right? And if I unify the region, then maybe I could get it to do that." Both tacticians blinked, slowly processing their lord's surprisingly logical train of thought.

"It is a possibility..." Kanbei conceded. "Were we to be able to unify the region."

"And that's why I got you two." Hideyoshi replied, extending his arms outwards toward them.

"Well, if you're going to force me to work, it might as well be towards an admirable goal." Hanbei said jokingly, an amused smirk plastered on his face. The albino echoed his sentiments with a simple nod.

"Great!" the excitable warlord exclaimed before spinning around back to face the town. "Anyways, why don't we get somethin' to eat? I think I saw a Ramen stand around here somewhere..."

* * *

The afternoon had quickly transitioned into mid-day, and both Tadashi and Mitsunari were walking down the main road, headed back to Aurora Castle. Tadashi, who looked slightly more clean cut, was carrying many of the items that he had been requested to get with noticeable difficultly. Mitsunari just looked down at his golden boots while he walked, his cheeks containing a rosy tint while his teeth were gritted in humiliation.

"You saw nothing..." he ordered to the warlord, though given his current state it came across as more of a request. Tadashi simply nodded, sympathizing with the humiliated boy, and spared a curious glance at him. Despite the trio having integrated themselves into the Aurora Army, they were still something of a mystery and usually kept to themselves. So, seeing as how he had forced the kid into the position he was, Tadashi felt the least he could do was try to get to know him better.

"Where are you from?" the question caught Mitsunari off guard, who was expecting either a jest or continued silence, and the boy looked up.

"What?"

"Well, you don't seem to know anyone in Aurora besides us, so I was just wondering where you're from." Tadashi quickly stepped to the side to avoid crashing with a passerby, ignorant to how Mitsunari visibly tensed at the subject.

"We're... from the east." Tadashi raised an eyebrow at the vague answer, unsure if the boy was dodging the question, unable to recall where they came from, or simply trying to avoid saying outright that his trio used to be homeless.

"Which Kingdom?" Mitsunari's humiliated grimace morphed into a brittle scowl.

"I can't say." Tadashi's own quizzical look morphed into slight frustration, pursing his lips at Mitsunari's evasion.

"Can you at least tell me what you remember you came to Aurora?" the Warlord could tell that his questioning was beginning to aggravate the kid, who clinched his hands in frustration.

"Look; all I know is that me, Kiyomasa and Masanori have had each other for as long as I can remember, and we've done what's been necessary to get by." Despite his defensive attitude, the twin could tell that the driving force behind his evasion had more to do with pain than anything else. It was something he could understood, and empathize with, well. He considered asking him more, but the fact that the two were now at the castle gates and that any further questioning would have probably led to a more severe reaction from the moody kid, deterred him from inquiring any further.

Tadashi managed to shift around the items he was holding so he could reach into his satchel and pull out the key to the wooden gate, and as he inserted the metallic tool into the keyhole, he froze for a moment, thinking back to when he first stood outside the gate only a few months ago.

_"How time passes... I wonder if Uncle is proud of us?"_ his short reflection was cut off by Mitsunari clearing his throat, and Tadashi turned the key and pushed open the gate. Mitsunari ran into the castle, while he removed the key from the gate and kicked it shut. He tarried on into the castle, greeting Oichi as he passed her while she was busy tending to a few flowers, and after entering the structure the teen dumped the various bags he was in danger of dropping on the dining table. Being as he had done all what his sister had requested, which did not actually extend to putting them away, he left the room and headed upstairs.

Rather than head to his room, he turned and walked the short distance to the small room that Motonari had moved into, having come up with a solution to his dilemma while out, and knocked on the wooden door.

"Come in." came Motonari's mild-mannered reply from the other side. Tadashi opened the door, immediately stopping in his tracks as he stared at an unruly pile of books that consumed almost half the room, to the point that it would have been comical if he was not afraid of being buried under them in an avalanche. Motonari just turned around from the his desk on the other side of the room, which was markedly more sparse.

"Ah, good afternoon, my lord. What might I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you would be willing to teach me a bit about strategy." Motonari raised an eyebrow in elation, and a slight smile broke out on his face at hearing the fellow Warlord's request.

"Of course, I would be more than happy to. Might I ask what drove you to want to learn, though?" Tadashi put a hand to his chin, subtly clenching his jaw as he started to recollect.

"Well, it was the past few battles, actually. I would always rely on working together with Kazumi to come up with a strategy, but recently we've been forced into positions where we can't rely on each other."

"I see. And you want to be able to hold your own if your sister is not present?"

"Pretty much. But I also know that if I want to defend Aurora; I'll need to get stronger." Motonari nodded, turning around and closing the book on his desk before reaching up to a cabinet. He opened it, pulling out a wooden board emblazoned with a checkerboard pattern, and then pulled out two leather pouches. The middle-aged man set both objects down on the corner of his desk, near an unoccupied chair that happened to be facing it, and turned back to the Warlord.

"Before I can teach you; I have to see what you already know." the man stated sagely. Tadashi nodded and sat down on the other chair, pulling out the chess pieces from the pouch he was handed and setting up his side. The boy was aware Motonari already had the match won, but he was willing to go through the motions if it meant he would be able to better serve as a Warlord.


	10. Chapter 10

A few days had passed since Tadashi began studying under Motonari, and over the short span of them he had gone from being checkmated by Motonari in seven turns to being checkmated in ten turns, a small victory in his book, and was currently in the courtyard with his newfound mentor, engaged in another one-sided battle. His Eevee was currently on its last legs, both figuratively and literally, and Motonari's Servine remained untouched as usual.

"Now;" Motonari began, his lax voice managing to carry the weight of his statement across the field. "Having observed the battle, and your own dire situation, what will you do?"

Tadashi grit his teeth, clearly not savoring the concession he was about to make. "I... I'll retreat." Motonari nodded approvingly, his barely noticeable smile marking a stark contrast from the humiliated Warlord's downward gaze.

"Good. A proper tactician shouldn't let pride prevent them from doing what is logical." just as Motonari had finished speaking, as if on cue, a slight drizzle began to fall from the overcast sky. The middle-aged man opened his gloved palm, letting a few droplets of water land on it as if to make certain the weather had decided to interfere. He let out an empty sigh at the development; it was not entirely unexpected since the sky had been the same bleak, cloud filled visage for the past few days, but the timing was still frustrating. He did not let it show, though, and merely turned back to his warlord, who was busy tending to his Eevee.

"I suppose that extends to us." he commented before turning back to the castle as the rain began to pick up. "Why don't we head inside? Best that neither of us catch a cold."

The two quickly turned to the castle, the Auroran's brisk paces managing to quickly put him ahead of the older man, who casually strode along in the ever-increasing downpour. When Motonari finally got inside, quickly shutting the inner door to keep the entrance from being flooded with water, he turned around to see that the Aurora Warlord's counterpart was already waiting for him, no doubt to check on his wellbeing. He brushed her off halfheartedly, clearly grateful for her concern but teasing her simply due to them being siblings. She responded with an indignant response of her own, turning her head away from him and letting an awkward silence settle between the two. It was broken a few seconds later as the two broke out in laughter simultaneously at their actions. The strategist smiled at that, unable to help but think back to his own sons at the sight. The twins then walked off, talking about the weather and what they could salvage from it, leaving Motonari to his own ideas of how he could pass the time.

* * *

The rain had gone from a light drizzle to a vicious downpour in a shocking amount of time, the heavy, overbearing sound of raindrops hitting the sloped roof of the castle almost drowning out the sound of anything else on the upper level, and serving as a monotonous, yet present, background noise on the lower. It was that maddening sound that had driven every occupant of the castle downstairs, if they were not already, and because of it most found themselves seated around the dining table, passing their time with a card game. The players, consisting of Kazumi, Oichi, Takakage, and the kids, began trading cards between each other in a seemingly random fashion until Kazumi threw down her hand in triumph.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, delighted with the results.

"And I thought my strategy would have won out for sure..." the blond-haired teen sighed out, slumping down in his chair dejectedly.

"It might have," Kiyomasa replied, turning to face Takakage. "If we weren't playing a game that was based mainly on dumb luck." The comment of the green-wearing kid only seemed to deflate the aspiring strategist even more.

"I wouldn't even say you could use tactics in a game like this, let alone any real strategy." Mitsunari commented, his eyes scanning over his own hand.

"There's a difference? I thought it was just a bunch of people shouting out orders." Masanori asked vapidly, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Takakage, who seemed offended at the very notion.

"Ow! What was that for!?" the boy cried out in obliviousness. Kiyomasa let out an exasperated sigh while Motonari looked up from the book he was reading.

"Now, now, Takakage; there's no need for that." Motonari, who was sitting at the end of the table, chided. "But yes, Masanori, there is a large difference."

"Tactics is the art of winning the battle. Strategy is the art of winning the war." everyone looked to Tadashi, who was busy quietly staring out a water soaked window, and had been doing so ever since he respectfully bowed out of the game after winning three hands in a row. He turned to look back. "That's what you said, right?"

Motonari nodded. "Yes, very good."

Tadashi looked back to the window, watching the ever-growing storm intently. He let out a silent sigh, but continued to watch as the castle grounds and everything else in sight became saturated with water. A particularly loud clap of thunder startled him and everyone else gathered, and only seemed to serve as a warning that the storm would not get better any time soon. The teen blinked a few times afterwards, a thought starting to form in his head.

"How long would you say it would take to reach Ignis?" he did not ask anyone in particular, but his sister was the first to respond.

"In this weather? More than a few hours. Brother; please tell me you're not considering-"

"I am." he affirmed before she could even finish. "If the storm here is this bad, then that means Ignis is weathering it as well. And Fire types don't do well surrounded by water."

"And get all of us sick in the process?" she retorted. Tadashi frowned, but refused to back down from his conviction.

"This is our best opportunity to defeat Hideyoshi. He'll either have to give up most of Ignis without a fight and hole up in his castle, or meet us out in the open with a massive disadvantage." The other warriors present just remained silent as they watched the twins go back and forth about the merits of invading Ignis in the cold, hard rain that only threatened to get worse as time went on, until Tadashi finally played his trump card.

"Fine; stay here. I'm still going on ahead." with that short statement the co-Warlord turned and left the room in mock fury, a sly smile growing on his face that only he knew about.

"Good! I'll be here when you come back drenched." she retorted back to the boy as he disappeared past the doorframe. For a few minutes she simply sat in her chair, arms crossed, a slight scowl etched into her countenance and staring intently at the gap in the wall as if Tadashi would reappear any second, soaked to the bone. A few more minutes simply passed of her scowling at the doorframe, still waiting for her twin to at least pass by it, but when he failed to, Kazumi quickly stole a glance at the window. She saw him outside, trudging through the rain and mud, seemingly unfazed by a nearby bolt of lightning. The girl groaned at that, letting her head fall into her dainty hands. The other warriors just looked on in silence, not sure what to do.

_"It's his choice. It's his choice."_ she repeated to herself mentally over and over again, trying her best to not look out the window again and feel guilt. But her worries refused to subside. After a multitude of scenarios ran through her mind, most of them ending with her twin either getting gravely ill or electrocuted, she slammed her hands down on the table in frustration, shooting up out of her chair.

"Darn it, Tadashi! Can't you listen to reason for just once!?" she then stormed out of the room with her Eevee, who shared in its mistress' rage, and passed by the doorway a few seconds later, having donned a heavy cloak that covered almost everything from the neck down. The other warriors got up after that, following the female twin. Motonari just stared at the nearly empty room, slowly closing his book and getting out of his chair.

"Not the most sound decision, but brilliant execution." he mused, much to the confusion of Masanori and Kiyomasa, leaving the room himself in pursuit of the others.

* * *

Hanbei sighed. The few rainy days that Ignis had were usually good for him; Hideyoshi would usually give everyone the day off, but given how surprisingly hard the rain was coming down on the Fire Type Kingdom, mixed with the frequent claps of thunder due to the high humidity of the area, he had been unable to get any quality sleep. So, he sat down at his desk, furiously scribbling down details for some contraption on a poor piece of paper that threatened to tear if he applied any more pressure. Once he was satisfied with his schematics after a surprisingly rigorous process of readjusting multiple aspects, he set the paper aside and rolled over to a drawer on the other side of his desk.

He opened the cabinet up, revealing a disorganized mess of various tools and materials that threatened to spill out onto the desk due to how poorly set they were, but the tactician paid it no heed. He pried out a few tools, in addition to a handful of gears and bolts, and quickly shut the drawer before everything could spill out. He then rolled back to the other side of the desk, the sound of the wheels on his chair causing Kanbei to tense mid sentence as he was busy writing something himself, and lazily spread out the gathered instruments on the wood. He turned his gaze back to the diagram he drew, fumbling around for some of the proper devices he would need to begin. He put a few gears together, connecting them through a series of other objects, and turned the small crank he managed to fit into the device. To his delight, the crank wound one gear, which wound another and another and so on.

He continued winding the gears, to busy scanning over his blueprints to even notice that the pieces of metal he were winding were beginning to tense up; turning less with each rotation of the crank. Hanbei paid it no heed, oblivious due to an error in his blueprints that he was mentally correcting, and when he absentmindedly turned the gears one more time the contraption fell apart, one of the gears shooting out of the connection. The circular device went flying in the direction of Kanbei, who sat at his own desk opposite to Hanbei's, and collided with the back of his head. He let out a pained grunt, the errant gear flying off his skull and landing somewhere across the room. The albino's head landed on the desk, the force of his crash knocking over the ink well he had dipped his quill in. He immediately shot up out of his chair, spinning around and glaring at the other tactician, revealing that a generous amount of ink had spilled all over the right side of his once white hair.

"Um... Black looks good on you?" The tactician in white offered uneasily. Kanbei sighed. Just because he had been expecting that response didn't mean it was any less frustrating. The ghostly pale youth refocused on the narcoleptic, about to chastise him when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned suddenly, striding over to the large, solitary window of their room and gazed out of it. Hanbei, as it would seem, had either noticed the same disturbance or picked up Kanbei's distraction since he was already at the window as well. Sure enough, both noticed a detail that stuck out like a sore thumb; a group of warriors, all save the one in the front wearing some form of coat, cloak or shawl to protect themselves from the downpour, marching down the mountain pass and into Ignis. Kanbei scowled as he recognized the golden ornament on the warrior in the front.

"I'll give them points for courage." Hanbei remarked passively. The laconic albino turned away from the window, completely forgetting the incident that had just occurred.

"Come. We must inform Lord Hideyoshi." Hanbei nodded, grabbing his Pikachu from where it was napping, and following the taller tactician out of the room.

* * *

The Aurora Army stood in front of the doors to Ignis Castle, the heat from the nearby torches serving as a relief to everyone, Tadashi and his Eevee in particular. The small Pokémon shook itself to free its matted fur of the collected liquid, sending droplets of water in all directions, while Tadashi simply let out a contented sigh as the heat from a the nearby fire began to warm him slightly. He had gotten the worst of the storm, being as he had forgotten to get any sort of coat in his mock haste, and the only form of protection from the elements he had brought with him was his waterlogged scarf.

But that was a price to pay for being able to coax his still grumpy counterpart into joining him, and was also the reason he hadn't pestered her about not getting a coat for himself as well. But it would appear that he would pay for his deceit in another way altogether; though it was raining in Ignis, the natural heat of the area made both the rain and atmosphere humid and murky, unlike the freezing downpour of Aurora, and his clothing and armor stuck to him like a second layer of skin. It was the only time he actually thought he was sweating during a thunderstorm, and was made worse by the fact that the only alternative was fighting Hideyoshi in his sweltering castle.

But he pushed aside those unpleasant thoughts, and stepped forward. Tadashi hesitantly reached forward to the massive brass doors, and gave one of them a cautionary, almost halfhearted, push. Much to the surprise of everyone, the door responded to his exertion by moving back with a loud creak, revealing it had not been barred or locked in any way.

"That can't mean anything good." Takakage commented.

"For once, I agree," Mitsunari replied, wringing some of the water out of the end of his headdress. "I don't think that even Hideyoshi would be stupid enough to leave his door unlocked."

"It's not good," Oichi reaffirmed. "But I don't think we have much of a choice."

Tadashi pushed the door open fully, poking his head inside slowly to see if there was someone hiding, waiting for them to charge in. Again, to his surprise, he saw nothing of the like. Now completely suspicious, but having no other options, Tadashi entered the castle with the rest of the Aurora Army close behind. He pried his red scarf off his neck, wringing it dry as he looked at the doors to the throne room and the two branching paths from it. It was obvious at this point that Hideyoshi wanted to divide them in an unfamiliar setting and ambush them.

Where had he seen that tactic before?

He pushed that snide thought out of his head, tied his now damp scarf back around his neck, and strode up to the large doors to Hideyoshi's room. He swung them open, by this time completely unfazed they were unlocked and unguarded, and gazed into the empty room. Part of him was almost disappointed at not seeing Hideyoshi lounging on his ostentatious throne, though that most likely stemmed from the fact he wanted to get this battle over with as soon as possible so he could change into clothing that wasn't still soaked. He turned back to his army, only to find Kazumi dragging a barely-compliant Mitsunari down the right hallway. He then turned to Motonari, who spoke up before he could.

"I suppose that leaves us with the left." the man mused, before turning down his self designated passage with Takakage. That only left Oichi with him, and he turned back to the throne room silently.

_"Something's not right."_ against his better judgment, he strode into the throne room with Oichi close behind, stopping in the dead center of it. True to his intuition, three Ignis warriors emerged from their concealed spots behind the nearby columns. The Warlord recognized the burly one as Koroku, and his two grunts as the ones that had joined him in his attack on Aurora. Their appearance was expected, and both Eevee and Jigglypuff were already at their respective partners sides.

What he did not expect, though, was Hideyoshi to drop down from the ceiling behind them, landing without making so much as a sound, and immediately order the Pokémon that detached itself from his scarf to unleash an Ember on the unsuspecting Auroran's Pokémon. The two spun around, allowing the warriors behind them to fan out and gain more ground, but were to late to issue any countermeasures against Hideyoshi's sneak attack.

But rather than press his advantage, true to form, Hideyoshi decided to strike up a conversation. "Well, well, well: If it isn't my rival, Tadashi, and- I'm sorry, but what's your name?"

When Oichi realized he had somehow managed to shift focus to her, she immediately looked downwards.

"O-Oichi." she stammered out.

"Oichi, huh? A beautiful name for a beautiful gal." Tadashi pinched his nose and groaned in irritation, while Oichi flushed in uneasy embarrassment, refusing to lift her gaze. Whether or not Hideyoshi was intentionally trying to do it, he had managed to unnerve both of them.

"Let's just get this over with, Monferno." Hideyoshi crossed his arms and pouted in an almost childish way.

"Fine, fine... Killjoy." he muttered before snapping back to a more serious tone. "Chimchar! Fury Swipes!"

"Counteract with Quick Attack!" Tadashi ordered. Oichi and her Jigglypuff turned around, facing Hideyoshi's warriors who were already listing off commands to their Pokémon.

"I'll try to hold them off, my Lord." Tadashi gave her a curt nod and silent thanks before turning back to the Fire Type Warlord across from him. Eevee had rammed into Chimchar headfirst, knocking the Fire Type to the ground, only for the other Pokémon to rake its hands across the Evolution Pokémon's face. Eevee cried out in pain, losing its focus for a moment, and Chimchar used that split-second distraction to its advantage to push the other Pokémon off it.

"Quickly, Flame Wheel!" Hideyoshi ordered. The Fire Type curled up into a ball and began somersaulting its way to Eevee, being enveloped in a wheel of flames in the process, and colliding with the dazed Normal Type.

"Blind them with Sand Attack." Tadashi ordered. Eevee spun around, digging into the marble that made up the floor, and sending a cloud of debris and dust to the two opponents.

"Not my floors!" Hideyoshi cried out in anguish, before quickly reverting to a frustrated state. "Clear it with Ember!"

The Chimchar launched out another series of small, bullet like flames into the cloud of dust that Eevee had kicked up, the heat and disturbance of the air causing the cloud to dissipate quickly, revealing an Auroran Warlord who had ducked to avoid getting his chocolate hair seared off, and a hole in the ground where his partner once was.

"Crud." Hideyoshi didn't even bother shouting out another order, he already knew what was coming in a few seconds. His Chimchar, in the half second it had, braced itself for the floor falling out beneath it best it could, before it was promptly launched out of said hole and sent flying.

"Follow up with Bite!"

"Don't let Eevee get to you!"

"Catch it with Quick Attack!" the quick and sporadic commands quickly set both Pokémon on different courses. Chimchar managed to spin in midair and bounce off one of the nearby columns, only to land and narrowly dodge Eevee who tried to tackle it with a Quick Attack. Eevee spun around, only to be slashed again with another series of Fury Swipes, and responded by biting down on the Chimp Pokémon's hand. Chimchar cried out in pain, waving its arms wildly around while Eevee only tightened its jaw around the Fire Type's appendage to avoid being thrown off.

"Use Ember!" Hideyoshi took advantage of the Evoltion Pokémon's refusal to release its grip, and his Pokémon unleashed a barrage of small flames on the Normal Type that succeeded in convincing it to let go. Hideyoshi let out a frustrated growl at the situation, clearly seeing that the battle was not swinging in his favor. Chimchar had scampered back to his side, allowing for a bit of distance between the combatants, and the Monferno like youth produced out a small, grey sphere from seemingly nowhere.

"I don't want to lose this battle, but we can't stay here. Time to fall back." he told his partner, before tossing the pellet to the ground, causing a momentary eruption of smoke. Tadashi and his Eevee both blinked in disbelief for a second, watching as the smoke dissipated and the Warlord with it. The warlord then turned around, noticing that Oichi and her Jigglypuff were having trouble keeping up with three opponents at once.

"Quick Attack!"

* * *

"I take it you are Kanbei Kuroda?" Motonari finally understood what Kazumi had meant. The obvious commander who stood in front of him along with a squad of warriors, blocking the stairway at the end of the path he had chosen, was very... distinctive. The intimidating tactician before him raised an eyebrow in curiosity and dropped most of his hostile veneer at that statement, as if he had been completely taken off guard by it.

"You know of me?" he asked, certainly surprised and looked to be somewhat pleased by the development.

"Yes." Motonari answered plainly. The pale Ignite in front of him gave an approving nod, to who he was unsure of, and refocused his attention on the Greenleafers in front of him.

"Very well. It is an honor to do battle against you, Lord Motonari." Kanbei stated almost reverently, followed by a respectful bow. Motonari just chuckled at the respect that the enemy tactician obviously had for him while his son gawked on in shock at the display. Once he was finished, Kanbei's expression hardened once more and his Lampent materialized next to him in a startling fashion. The enemy warriors each motioned for their partners to move forward, while Servine and Treecko each assumed their positions in front of their partners. Motonari smiled in anticipation.

* * *

"Huh. Fancy going up against you again." Hanbei commented to the girl across from him. Kazumi gave a determined nod back, sharing his sentiments but too busy trying to formulate a strategy to counter his to speak. Mitsunari quickly looked between the two warriors, as if there was some grand revelation that had just been made, and he noticed Kazumi's eyes wandering between Hanbei and their surroundings. The small room they found themselves in was rectangular, enough to comfortably hold the four Ignite Warriors who were standing in each corner, Hanbei, who happened to be guarding the stairwell, and the two Aurorans. There was nothing that could be used as cover, meaning nothing to hide behind in the face of Pikachu's inevitable Thunder Wave, but that could possibly be used to their advantage...

"Are you going to attack?" Hanbei asked in a cheery manner, shaking Kazumi out of her overly lenthy analysis and letting Mitsunari release a breath he didn't know he was keeping in.

"Sorry," she replied, though silently thankful she wound up pitted against the good-natured tactician instead of his counterpart. "Eevee, Sand Attack!"

While Eevee kicked up a cloud of dust that managed to blind Hanbei and temporarily shield them from the two warriors flanking him, Mitsunari spun around to face the other two and their Pokémon.

"Use Ember, Charmander!"

"You too, Litwick!" both shouted out in an attempt to sear the part Metal Type.

"Dodge and counter with Assurance." Mitsunari replied disinterestedly, apparently not considering the Fire Type attacks or their senders to be much of a threat. Kazumi spun around too, having been focused on the cloud for a moment in fear of Hanbei's surprisingly nonexistent counterattack, and ordered Eevee to use a Shadow Ball on Charmander. It was after she shouted out that order that she heard Hanbei approve the anticipated Thunder Wave. Kazumi knew time was of the essence, refocusing her attention on the wave of electrical energy that emerged just as the Ghost Type attack connected with it's target, knocking out the receiving Pokémon in one blow.

"Now, jump!" Fortunately the current's inherent weakness was that it bared somewhat low due to the stature of the Pokémon releasing it, and if timed properly could be avoided with a simple jump. The normal type managed to leap over the paralyzing attack unharmed, though the same could not be said for Pawniard, who was busy finishing off the Litwick in the corner, or Kazumi herself, who felt an irritating numbness in her legs that was not unlike the sensation one would feel when they fell asleep. Mitsunari managed to sidestep it as the wave died down, the auburn-haired boy clearly annoyed with the development.

"Not bad." Hideyoshi's Tactician conceded absentmindedly, the settling dust starting to give him a better visual of the situation. "Agility, Pikachu."

"Stop Pikachu with Quick Attack!"

"Intercept with Tackle!" one of the warriors flanking Hanbei cried out. His own partner, a Tepig, managed to rush in front of the Electric Type before Kazumi's Eevee could crash into it and interrupt it, with the Normal Type rather crashing into the small Pokémon headfirst, and sending it flying.

"Again!" she shouted, which caused her Eevee to resume its crash course with Hanbei's partner.

"Too late." he replied with a smile, his already nimble partner avoiding the quick Pokémon with ease, dancing circles around the Evolution Pokémon as it tried to land a hit. Hanbei chuckled at the sight, Kazumi just frowned.

"Now, Fury Cutter!" Hanbei's purple eyes went wide as he realized Pikachu had landed right in front of Pawniard, who had defeated the final straggler, and bared its back to the dual type. The Pokémon brought its blade-arm down in a stiff fashion, clearly still suffering from the effects of the paralysis, and cut across the Mouse Pokémon's back. The electric type cried out in pain, the shock causing it to lose its footing and stumble forward, opening up the chance for Kazumi's Eevee to finally land a hit. The assailed Pokémon was sent back, managing to skid to a halt back by Hanbei's side, and, much to his chagrin, it seemed that the battle was beginning to swing in Aurora's favor.

"Follow up with Shadow Ball!" Kazumi shouted eagerly, hoping to get in another good shot before Hanbei could reverse the situation. Eevee moved to open its maw and unleash the shadowy ball of energy, but froze in place, finding itself unable to attack.

"Eevee?" its partner worryingly questioned. Her fears were confirmed when Hanbei's concern melted away in the face of his usual positivity, shooting his Pikachu a proud smile.

"Static," he began, drawing the attention of his opponents. "Pikachu's ability, which can sometimes paralyze an opponent upon making contact. Now, Electro Ball!"

Kazumi's eyes widened in horror as the Electric Type began charging up the attack, her mind already going back to their previous match. Pikachu rocketed the ball of electricity towards Eevee, and were it not for Mitsunari's Pawniard staggering in front of Eevee, the attack would have connected head on. Hanbei raised an eyebrow at the sacrifice, and Kazumi immediately looked down to her younger partner to find him locked in a grimace.

"He's too strong for us." Mitsunari simply stated, his lack of a sarcastic afterthought managing to emphasize the direness of the situation to the female Warlord, who vehemently agreed. Hanbei, it seemed, had no desire to continue the battle either.

"Gotta run myself," he replied, turning around to the stairs. "Hideyoshi could probably use me somewhere else. See ya!"

With that quick goodbye, the Ignis tactician and his Pikachu quickly fled to the second floor of the castle, while the two Aurorans went back the way they came with their Pokémon.

* * *

Tadashi and Oichi watched the final warrior flee through one of the doors near the back of the throne room, carrying his unconscious Pokémon with him. Hideyoshi had apparently sent a steady stream of reinforcements into the room, causing the battle to drag on for what seemed like forever. Both warriors let out a collective sigh of relief, but as the main doors behind them opened, both visibly tensed and slowly turned around. Much to their relief, it was simply Kazumi and Mitsunari, the former cradling her paralyzed Pokémon in her arms, and the latter dragging his unconscious Pokémon behind him like a stuffed animal due to it's weight and size in comparison to his.

Tadashi did not ask how her battle went, it was clear what had happened, and rather he started fishing through his leather satchel to find the proper berries to heal his sister's Eevee. He pulled out a few Oran Berries, shifting them into his other hand before haphazardly tossing them in the direction of his sister, who managed to somehow catch them, before continuing to peer back into his satchel for the red berries that would counteract the paralysis. He rummaged through the pouch, shifting around various items while his sister's patience started to disintegrate.

"You forgot to pack the Cheri Berries, didn't you?" she said with a sigh, both fearing and knowing the answer. He gave a sheepish smile.

"Well, I didn't really have the time to prepare..." he trailed off. Before Kazumi could chide her brother for his carelessness, another pair of footsteps entering the room drew their attention back to the doorway. They saw Takakage entering this time, his blue coat matching his sullen attitude.

"They beat you!?" Tadashi asked urgently, his embarrassment turning to shock. Takakage looked up, noticing the attention of the entire room was on him.

"Me, yes. But that ghost won't be able to beat father, no matter for many Fire Spins he orders." again, collective relief filled the room at the teen's confident clarification.

"My Lord," Oichi began hesitantly, drawing the attention of the warlords. "If Lord Motonari is engaged with Kanbei, then that means we should be able to attack Hideyoshi now."

Tadashi nodded in agreement. "Yes, but we'll have to get through Hanbei first."

"Actually, he retreated after our battle." Kazumi's statement drew the attention of the room back to her. "I wouldn't be surprised if he went off to go help Kanbei."

"That will make things considerably easier. Do you think your Eevee can fight?"

"Not well." she replied to the other warlord. "And I don't want to push it."

Tadashi nodded empathetically, pursing his lips into a thin line. "All right then. You stay here with Mitsunari and Takakage, me and Oichi will go on ahead." The other brunette gave a nod, Mitsunari rolled his eyes at the thought of being watched over like a small child, and the other Warlord and Oichi promptly took their leave.

* * *

Kanbei gritted his teeth as Motonari's Servine used a weak Leaf Tornado, the wind conjured by it managing to redirect Lampent's Confuse Ray back to it. The eerie orb of light hypnotically floated back to the Ghost-Fire type in a disarming manner.

"Fire Spin!" The Lamp Pokémon conjured a pillar of spinning flames that managed to destroy the ball of light, but Motonari took advantage of the momentary loss of sight caused by it to move his Servine as close as possible to Lampent. When the fire died down, Servine immediately jumped up and collided its leaf like tail with the rim of Lampent's head, sending it spiraling back towards the ghostly tactician, and quickly retreated out of the range of the Pokémon's counterattack. Their one-sided battle was interrupted by a cheery voice, and a series of obnoxious noises as wooden sandals collided with the wooden stairs.

"Hey, Kanbei, are-" Hanbei's question died in his mouth the moment he saw the grassy-haired man Kanbei was losing against.

"Whoa... You're Motonari Mori!" with an uncharacteristic burst of energy, Hanbei quickly ran down the rest of the stairs, Kanbei raising an eyebrow in an unknown emotion at his display. He stopped next to Kanbei, a wide grin plastered over his face. Motonari just chuckled.

"That I am. And you must be Hanbei Takenaka." he replied casually, though Hanbei reacted far from his usual collected demeanor and grew wide-eyed like a child on Christmas.

"Wait; you've heard about me!?"

"Yes." Motonari then blinked, a wave of deja vu washing over him. He shook his head, as if shaking away the sensation with it, and refocused on the two Ignites who stood in front of him. "And I would appreciate it if the two of you would be willing to show me your capabilities."

Hanbei pumped a fist in excitement at the thought of trading blows with one of Ransei's finest strategists, a confident smile on his face. Kanbei eyed him warily, not at all liking this rarely seen side to his usually laidback friend.

"All right," Hanbei replied. "But I warn you; the two of us make quite a team."

"I would hope so. The first move is yours." Motonari replied in the same placid tone as usual, though the disarming smile he had belied his anticipation.

"Thunder Wave!"

"Confuse Ray." already the two Ignis tacticians were presenting him with a dilemma: were he to order Servine to dodge the current, the orb would be able to catch up with the Grass Type, and were he to order Servine to attempt to avoid the orb, chances were the current would be able to connect and the orb would soon after. For most warriors, it would have come down to what they were willing to risk, and which aliment they believed their partner could weather better. Motonari nodded in approval.

"Use Leaf Tornado to propel yourself upwards, if you could, Servine." the sudden gust of wind shot the Pokémon upwards, avoiding the paralyzing attack effortlessly and causing the confusion inducing one to be redirected again, only to be quickly cut to shreds with an Iron Tail from Hanbei's Pikachu. The Strategist-Warlord gave no order to move after that, curious to see what the two aspiring strategists across from him would be able to concoct next.

"Smog."

"Agility." Kanbei's Lampent spewed forth a noxious cloud of smoke while Hanbei's Pikachu began jumping from place to place, its pace quickening noticeably. Motonari eyed the purple haze suspiciously.

"Clear it away with a Leaf Tornado, please." the sickening air was quickly cleared away with another burst of leaf filled wind, one that effortlessly carved through it and went towards Kanbei's Lampent.

"Stop it with Fire Spin, release Smog once more." the pillar of flames erupted once more, incinerating the flames, and then the dual type proceeded to release another burst of the noxious fumes. Motonari noticed Kanbei's eyes glance over to Hanbei for a split second before his vision was completely obscured, a subtle tell that it was merely a cover for something else. Acting on a hunch, albeit an educated one, the Greenleafer decided give a less than conventional order.

"Leaf Blade on Pikachu, be careful to not stay in the fog for too long." Servine gave him a nod, and rocketed into the purple haze that obscured his vision from the other side, save that of a few blurry silhouettes. That worked both ways, he knew, and the two opponents across from him were ill prepared for when Servine emerged from the cloud, and quickly cut across Pikachu, stopping the Thunder Wave it was about to unleash. Servine took note of that, which allowed Motonari to gleam that piece of information from their link, and the man crossed his arms and put a hand to his chin.

_"As I suspected. His strategy is probably reliant on speed, so..."_ in the split second that the thought had ran through his head, Motonari refocused his attention on the battle and the blurry shadows he could make out through the smog.

"Constrict Pikachu with Leech Seed." Servine launched the large, brown seed at the still shocked Pikachu, which collided with its stomach. A series of vines quickly emerged from it, intertwining in an entangled mess and rendering the Electric Type useless, despite all its squirming in a vain attempt to escape. Hanbei gawked. By this time the fog had parted, and Motonari could tell that both had been completely taken off guard.

"Leaf Blade, please." his command shook Kanbei out of his short stupor, but Servine was to quick. It rushed over, using its tail as a coil, jumped up and cut the already weak Lampent overhead, forcing it painfully down into the floor below, unconscious. Kanebi took a step back in shock. Motonari deemed the battle to be over, silently ordering Servine to release the drained, but not unconscious, Pikachu, and began walking the distance between himself and the duo.

"Well done, Servine." he congratulated his Pokémon as it returned to his side, before refocusing his attention on the two Ignites. "And you two as well. I must say, you certainly show quite a bit of promise."

"You mean that?" Hanbei asked, his downcast mood quickly changing from the praise.

"Yes, I do. In fact, I would like to make both of you an offer;" the tacticians quickly refocused their full attention on the Warlord. "I would like the two of you to become my students. You clearly have potential, but I would like to help refine it."

Kanbei, for once, seemed completely shocked at the proposition, and Hanbei was not that far off either.

"Would that not require leaving Lord Hideyoshi?" the pale Warlord asked, almost hesitantly.

"Well, yes-" Motonari conceded, but was quickly cut off by an enthusiastic Hanbei.

"C'mon, Kanbei; _Motonari Mori_ just asked us to become his apprentices! Out of everyone, he asked us!" he exclaimed bubbly, barely containing his full excitement over the prospect. "Besides; we can always just come back to Lord Hideyoshi once all this is over. He's not really the type to hold a grudge"

Kanbei seemed to mull over the proposal, his eyes shifting from Motonari, to his optimistic counterpart, to his feet, and then back to Motonari.

"Very well." Motonari smiled at his acceptance, giving a grateful nod to the two.

"Wonderful. Now, given the lack of noise, I take it the battle is over?" Motonari's comment caused Hanbei and Kanbei to take note that the castle was eerily quiet, save for the pitter-patter of the dying rain, and Kanbei quickly went upstairs only to return seconds later.

"The second floor appears to be empty." he stated.

"I do suppose that means they would be outside." Motonari commented before turning around, walking back the way he came from. The two tacticians exchanged glances before following him.

* * *

As Motonari had speculated, they found the two parties outside the castle in the rain, which was starting to tapper off. Based on the fact that it was Aurora who was standing near the doors of the castle, and that Hideyoshi was busy looking downwards, driving his shoe into the gravelly ground in disappointment, it was clear who had won. When the trio took a few steps forward, the sounds of their steps being amplified by the loose ground, Hideyoshi looked up from his sullen state.

"Hanbei! Kanbei! So you guys lost too, huh?"

"Yeah..." Hanbei affirmed sheepishly. "Uh, Hideyoshi. Do you mind if we talk to you about something?"

Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow, not exactly encouraged by the sudden request. "Sure..."

After his halfhearted reply, the three walked over to Ignis' side while Kazumi turned to Motonari.

"Do you know what that was about?" Motonari nodded.

"Yes. I talked to the two after our battle, and they agreed to become my students." Tadashi blinked at that, his head turning dangerously quick at hearing the information.

"So you basically convinced them to defect?" Motonari smiled nervously at the young Auroran's statement.

"Put bluntly, but yes." neither of the Auroran Warlord seemed to know what to do in light of that revelation, and their shock was shared by Hideyoshi.

"So... I guess this is goodbye for now?" Hanbei offered reluctantly to his shocked lord. Hideyoshi sighed despondently, but nodded his head.

"I guess so. If it makes you guys happy, then I guess I can't complain. Best of luck to you." Hideyoshi extended a hand to his two former lieutenants, his unexpected kindness managing to shock both of them, and each replied with a firm handshake of their own. The defeated Warlord gave them one final nod in gratitude, though said nothing out of a desire to not make the situation awkward, and rather turned to his self-proclaimed rival.

"I'll be back!" he shouted across the distance and rain. Tadashi knew it was a promise the Monferno-like man intended to keep. Said youth spun around and gestured for his remaining army to follow him, and they marched off into the dark and rain without a second look back. The two strategists watched them leave, undoubtedly conflicted over the decision they made, but still turned back to the Aurorans.

"Well, I guess we'll be coming with you from now on." Hanbei remarked dryly. Tadashi nodded in agreement, and then sneezed violently.

* * *

Admist the massive peaks and steep valleys of the mountain range that surrounded and made up the center of Ransei's northern peninsula, laid the castle of Dragnor. In light of the recent their recent conquest, Nobunaga had pulled the majority of his forces back to the fortification in order to plot their next move. And said warlord was currently inside one of the massive, spiraling towers that hosted the war room, absentmindedly looking out a window at the various builders who were endeavoring to expand the already formidable castle, while his officers looked over a map of Cragspur.

"M-My Lord." came the stuttered request from a certain officer present. Nobunaga glanced back at the crowded table, his piercing gaze landing on the one who had spoken to him.

"Yes, Nagahide?" his reply came in the same apathetic, lifeless vein that it usually did, but that did not stop the Oda's timid tactician from shuddering.

"I-I'm afraid we might not be able to assault Cragspur with our current strength, Lord Nobunaga." Nobunaga turned around at that, granting his full attention to his generals, all of whom had immediately stopped their conversations and went to attention at hearing the conqueror turn around. The obsidian-encased man took a few heavy steps forward in the direction of the table they were gathered around, his massive dual type Pokémon flanking him as usual, but came to a stop a few feet away from them. He crossed his arms, black eyes scanning the small crowd, wondering who would be the one to extrapolate. It was Ieyasu who stepped forward this time, the squat man clearing his throat.

"Well, Lord Nobunaga, the conditions weigh heavily against us, even with our numbers and strength. Cragspur is already famed as the strongest bastion in all Ransei, and Ujiyasu is a resilient man. Were it only him, we would undoubtedly be able to secure victory, but his numbers have been bolstered by the remaining forces from the surrounding Kingdoms. In addition, my lord; Shingen, Kenshin and Ujiyasu have been known to assist each other from outside threats in the past, and I doubt they would hesitate, even against us. If we were to attack, we would have to do so at a time when the former are occupied with other matters."

Nobunaga remained silent after Ieyasu's summary, silently and stoically mulling over the situation himself. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he then turned to the door.

"The longer we wait, the more time we allot to Ujiyasu to prepare for us. There is only _one_ solution; Nobunaga must become stronger." he replied, his armored hand reaching inside his purple coat, pulling peculiar stone out from underneath it. He then looked back to the assembled generals, who were all curious about what their lord was clutching.

"Katsuie. Nobunaga entrusts to you the realm in his absence. Come, Hydriegon." with that Nobunaga strode out of the chamber in his usual determined fashion, the tails of his purple coat quickly disappearing behind the doorway. None of the generals spoke for a few minutes after that, shocked and not even aware of where their lord was going or how long he would be gone. Finally, a spiky haired youth decided to speak up.

"Did Lord Nobunaga look a little... gaunt?" Toshiie asked. The young officer's unrelated comment managed to draw most the room's attention to him, but Mitsuhide nodded in agreement before turning to the youngest member present.

"Ranmaru, you have made sure Lord Nobunaga is eating?" he questioned, causing the young boy to shy away from the sudden attention.

"I- I've tried..." he conceded with a great deal of humiliation.

"But he refuses to eat or sleep most of the time! All Lord Nobunaga does is train nonstop. It's like he never gets tired..." Ranmaru tapered off, clearly disappointed with what he felt like was a failure of his duties as a page.

"Lord Nobunaga is no ordinary man." Ieyasu commented, causing Katsuie to nod in agreement.

"Yes, if we might even call him a man still." the burly man said, crossing his arms. His comment drew the attention of the room, and the aging warlord simply let out a detached sigh in response. The veteran retainer turned to leave the room himself, given that his newfound responsibilities would require his presence elsewhere.


	11. Chapter 11

On a large, flat plain that served as a natural border between the mountainous Kingdom of Illusio and the desert-wasteland of Terrera, two massive armies had gathered. On the southern side, originating from the Ground Type based Kingdom, was a horde of red-wearing warriors, nearly all riding some type of steed, giving the impression of blazing inferno spreading across the sea of coarse grass. Opposite to them, descending from the north, was a mass of white coming from the hills that led into the plains, making it appear as if the clouds themselves were blanketing them.

The two armies stopped some distance from the other, a tense staring contest settling between the two. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting for the opposing side to make the first move, both broke ranks and began to part in the center as their commanders made their way to the unclaimed ground between the two forces. The one from Terrera was stocky, though not heavyset, and much like his army, was clad in red robes while his face was concealed by a mask of the same color, leaving only his wild, gray hair and mouth free. The two Rapidash he managed to balance himself on, somehow possessing the equestrian skills to stably plant one foot on each flattened saddle, holding both reins in one hand and an iron fan in the other, trotted forward without hesitation.

His opponent on the other side was riding his single mount in a much more conventional manner, his albino, stark white robes, armor and undaunted expression making him look almost like a specter. Using the hand that was griping the reins, he steered his own mount forwards to the empty plain, coming to a stop as his rival did. Both stared at the other for a minute, as if waging a silent war of will to see who would be the first to move.

"Nemesis..." Kenshin called out in a gravely voice that betrayed no warmth.

"Kenshin..." Shingen replied in his much more jovial tone, as if that one word carried more depth than a simple name, before steering his two steeds to the side as if he was a charioteer. Kenshin in turn directed his Rapidash to the side opposite of Shingen, neither breaking their gaze from each other.

"Nemesis."

"Kenshin." both were circling the other now, like a preadatory Flying Type sizing up their prey before swooping down and snatching it. Finally, Kenshin came to a stop and directed himself to face Shingen, who did the same with considerable ease.

"Nemesis!"

"Kenshin!" both Warlords charged forward at each other, Shingen raising his red war fan while Kenshin lifted up his massive, serrated sword. Shingen brought the considerably smaller weapon down on Kenshin as he swung upwards at the standing warlord, the sound of clashing metal echoing across the plains as the fan found its way between the protrusions extending from the blade.

The two immediately withdrew their weapons before Kenshin spun his blade overhead, attempting to slash at Shingen's legs. The man jumped, and landed again on the backs of his mounts with perfect balance, bringing down the fan with him for an overhead strike. Kenshin used the momentum from his last swing to bring the blade around and block the fan the flat side of his sword, before snapping the reins of the Fire Type he was riding, spurring it to bolt off from underneath Shingen's assault. The Warlord in red gave chase, but Kenshin spun around in his tracks at last moment and charged the charging Warlord of Terrera, winding his massive sword behind his head in preparation to cut across his rival. He swung forward, casting an arc right as he was within striking distance of his foe, only for Shingen to anticipate the maneuver and block the strike with one of his own.

The two remained in a deadlock for a moment, Shingen's fan having found its way under one of the gaps in the serrated blade again, until said Terreran delivered a kick to the Psychic-using Warlord's side, which failed to knock him off his own Rapidash, but did succeed in unbalancing him for a split second. Shingen capitalized on the moment, managing to throw the Warlord in white off his mount by flicking his wrist, and thus the fan, and thus the massive sword that Kenshin was holding, upwards, creating a sudden shift in weight that had managed to surprise Kenshin.

The man managed to regain his balance, using his sword as something of a stake to help land steadily on both feet, and he looked up to his rival who had steered his two Rapidash back slightly, recreating the gap in distance between the rivals.

"Impressive as always, nemesis." Kenshin commented dryly, causing Shingen to nod with a slight smile on his face.

"Yes. Now, with that little display out of the way, perhaps we can get to the battle?" the masked man replied, raising his fan overhead before lowering it in the direction of the Illusio Army, signaling his army to attack. Kenshin tore his blade from the ground, sending dirt and grass flying everywhere in the general vicinity, and lowered it at the Terrera Army, his Gallade rushing to the Warlord's while his own army rushed forward.

* * *

After what felt like, and could have very well been, hours of fighting, both armies came to a halt as the final combatants (their respective commanders) had somehow managed to knock out both their Pokémon at the same time, leaving no clear winner. So, both armies had decided to do the most fitting thing they could think of in the aftermath: sit down and enjoy a giant picnic. Given the clam breeze and the clear sky that the occasional cloud wafted through, it was certainly an appealing thought to the exhausted warriors and Pokémon.

And so, the two massive armies found themselves occupying the plains, casting a large sea of mismatched whites and reds as they conversed and relaxed in the aftermath of the battle. Yukimura, true to his warrior fashion, had opted to skip the event and practiced his spear form, the weapon becoming almost a blur in his hands as he fought an imaginary foe, much to the amazement of the nearby warriors and a fawning Kunoichi.

"Your student's dedication is admirable." Kenshin remarked at the sight, taking a sip from the cup of sake he was gripping.

"Your youngster is no slouch either." Shingen replied, eyeing Kanetsugu as practiced his own swordsmanship. The aging warlord quickly downed the alcoholic contents of his cup in a single gulp, spurring Kenshin to do the same. Shingen raised a masked eyebrow at that, and moved to refill both their drinks. Both quickly downed their second glass, and repeated the process with a third, and then a fourth, trying to outpace the other. Finally at his fifth, the masked Warlord managed to set aside his half-full cup, causing the Illusio Warlord to give him the most quizzical look he could, which was tantamount to turning his half-scowl into a more neutral expression.

"I think it's best if we saved the drinking contest for another date." Kenshin frowned, clearly disappointed, his face returning to its normal intimidating visage that seemed to have no effect on Shingen, and set down his own empty cup. The two sat in silence for a while, as if they were carrying out an unspoken conversation amongst the clamor of the nearby warriors. The masked Warlord finally let out a relaxed sigh, gazing up at the clouds as they drifted across the breeze.

"You know, Kenshin; we should do this more often." the robed man gave a stern nod.

"Yes, I would savor any chance to do battle with you."

"Eh... I was talking about the picnic. But whatever floats your boat." Aya, who happened to be sitting nearby, immediately excused herself at hearing the idiom. The two stayed silent for a while again, simply enjoying the weather with their nearby Pokémon, who had decided to finish off the bottle Shingen set aside, before Kenshin lowered his gaze once more.

"We could use this as an opportunity to settle our rivalry." he stated simply, getting Shingen's attention again.

"Yes, I suppose we could. Best three out of five, same time next week?" Shingen extended his gloved hand, and Kenshin replied with a nod.

"Agreed." he then shook his nemesis' outstretched hand. A travelling warrior who happened to have the luck of passing through the battlefield-turned-picnic grounds unhindered, being as Kunoichi was too busy fangirling over Yukimura and everyone else was too busy to pay him any heed or wasn't concerned, raised an eyebrow underneath the conical hat that concealed most of his face at overhearing the agreement.

"Hy?" his partner, who had detected the conversation as well, asked. The man stayed silent for a moment, the half frown being the only indication to his contemplative state. Finally he turned away from the now-conversing Warlords, the tattered blue cloak that concealed most of his figure flapping in the breeze slightly, and looked westward in the direction of his destination.

"Yes." he replied simply, having been the only one to understand the Pokémon's questioning due to their link, before resuming his trek.

* * *

Being as it was a Saturday and the threat of Hideyoshi had been removed for the time being, most of the occupants of Aurora's castle had decided to indulge in a rare luxury; sleeping in. But, seeing as it was nearing noon, Kazumi took it upon herself to wake up the residents of the castle who still were still resting, which, fortunately for her, amounted to only four people. The first was Takakage, who had been persuaded easily enough with the mention of his father wanting to practice with him, bolting out of his room with his Treecko like it was on fire. She quickly spun the teen around by his shoulders before he could make it any further down the hall, ordering him to change out of his pajamas. He apologized sheepishly and quickly went back into his room, while Kazumi just carried on as if nothing happened.

The next, and closest, stop on her list happened to be the room the two tacticians from Ignis shared. She quietly edged open the door, trying not to barge in since the two had only just moved in a few days ago, and when she entered she was immediately struck by how quickly they had managed to settle in, the room already looking like it had been occupied by them for years. The left side of the room, the side that Kanbei clearly occupied, was set up in an incredibly organized and meticulous manner and looked to be almost spotless. The right side though, the one that Hanbei had clearly chosen, looked like a tornado had run through it; papers, supplies and various materials strewn all over it like some sleep deprived alchemist's workplace. The occupants of the room were just as divided.

Kanbei slept on the covers of his bed, fully dressed in his usual robes and armor as if he was preparing to wake up under attack. The youth was utterly unmoving; completely straight with his hands folded over his stomach, a slight frown etched into his pale face, and the only sign that he was still alive was the barely noticeable rhythmic moving his chest. He looked like he belonged more on a mortician's table than the bed. Fortunately for those disturbing thoughts, Hanbei was his complete opposite even asleep; the covers of his bed having been mangled and tossed aside in his constant turning, the tactician's own body positioned at an angle that looked to be uncomfortable, with his arms hanging off the sides of the bed, his own face turned sideways into his pillow as he slept downwards. The female Warlord had no idea how the two, who looked to be opposites in absolutely everything, could even bear to share a room.

She took one step forward, the sound of her metal boot against the wooden floor causing a muffled creak, but the noise was still enough to wake Kanbei up. His eyes shot open, and he sat up stiffly, the unpredicted and sluggish motion startling Kazumi, and combined with her previous unsettling thoughts, caused the girl to scream in shock. Somehow that failed to wake up Hanbei, but it certainly caused his ghostly counterpart to abandon any grogginess he had. He blinked at her absentmindedly, confused as to why she screamed, while Kazumi steadied her breathing and quickly left the room, completely forgetting why she had gone in there in the first place.

After speed walking away from the tactician's room as fast as she could, the Auroran managed to recollect her thoughts. Crossing Hanbei and Kanbei's room off her mental checklist, she hurried to the final destination, which happened to be her own counterpart's room. Before she could reach the door though, she spotted Oichi walking down the hallway as well, the steaming bowl of soup in her hands an indication that she apparently had the same destination in mind.

"Good afternoon, my Lady." the auburn-haired girl greeted with a warm smile, which Kazumi reciprocated.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Oichi. Is that for Tadashi?" she asked, gesturing to the ceramic container she was carrying, a towel wrapped around it to prevent it from burning her hands or going cold.

"Yes," the other girl replied with a nod. "He must feel awful being bedridden with the flu; buried up to his neck in covers and having nothing to do all day but just sleep and watch the hours pass by, so I thought some soup might make him feel a bit better."

Kazumi smiled at that, deciding not to mention that her twin's sickness was a consequence of his rash actions, or that he disliked soup. Oichi had taken the time to make him something out of a simple kindness and concern for his wellbeing, so Tadashi could suck it up and take his medicine this once. "Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Just make sure not to catch anything yourself."

The Warlord went on her way after that, a devious smile making its way onto her features, mentally deciding that she was even with her brother. Besides; chances were it probably would help get him out of bed quicker, and that was another plus in her book.

* * *

Ujiyasu leaned against the railing of the balcony on the top floor of Cragspur, holding up his pipe in one hand and his cane in another. He exhaled a bit of smoke, before flicking the implement over his armored shoulder, and stared up at the passing sky for a few moments. The warlord then tilted his scarred face over his shoulder, taking a look at the tranquil gardens below and the peaceful, isolated village in the distance. The veteran Warlord secretly enjoyed these peaceful moments, but knew that they were only the fruits of his labor, and the moment he lowered his vigilant guard, it would all be for nothing. And even then, had it not been for the refugee warriors from the neighboring kingdoms, and his unspoken agreement with Kenshin and Shingen, chances were he would have shared his neighbors fate and fallen long ago to Nobunaga's legions.

"I'm telling you, imbecile, I have something important to tell Ujiyasu! So stand aside!" a boisterous command came from the hallway outside his room. Ujiyasu sighed wearily.

_"Speak of the one-eyed devil."_

"And I'm telling _you,_ " the Warlord heard his equally tenacious daughter shout back with a certain disgust. "That dad told me he wanted some time to himself! So buzz off!"

Ujiysau groaned in frustration. The whole point of trying to spend some time to himself was to decompress from all the stress his position heaved upon him, but all he could feel now was a migraine coming.

_"Next time I'm going fishing. I might as well as get this over with though..."_ The man strode away from the balcony, the sound of his boots echoing off the floorboards being drowned out by the argument going on outside his door. He pushed the sliding panel aside, startling Kai and causing Masamune to stop his sentence mid-shout. Ujiyasu looked at the young, temperamental Warlord, clearly unimpressed, and having half the mind to slug him with his cane for calling Kai an imbecile.

"Yeah? What's so important that it requires bugging me about it?" Masamune snapped his head to Ujiyasu's direction, the oversized crescent on his helmet nearly smacking Kai across her face.

"Nobunaga's disappeared!" Ujiyasu dropped most of his scowl at that, having expected something completely trivial. "This is the perfect opportunity to reclaim the other kingdoms! With most of his army up in Dragnor-"

Ujiyasu frowned at the path that Masamune was taking his announcement down, his scowl quickly returning. "They'll just come down and smash us to pieces the moment we leave here. In case if you haven't noticed, boy; the only reason why Nobunaga hasn't attacked Cragspur yet is because of our solidarity, and the castle itself. The moment we spread out, we'll resign ourselves to defeat."

Masamune growled in response. "With Nobunaga gone his army won't nearly be as powerful as before! The One-eyed Dragon can take them!"

Ujiyasu rolled his eyes. "Did you ever stop to consider it might be a ruse, and this is exactly what the Oda want? And even without the Demon King leading it, Dragnor's army is still powerful. You'll get your kingdom back eventually, but we _will_ be biding our time for now."

The Rock Type Warlord turned around and went back into his room, slamming the panel shut behind him, while Masamune just closed his fists in anger. The Avian turned around and stormed back the way he came, all the while muttering 'imbeciles' under his breath.

* * *

"So... You'll help us?" Hideyoshi questioned cautiously, trying to reaffirm his hazy agreement with the other Warlord. The exiled Warlord was standing, along with most of his army, in the middle of the audience chamber of Fontaine. The scruffy Warlord across from him plucked out a few notes on his shamisen, his eyes glancing over at one of the fountains to the side in contemplation.

"You resist the tide, and I respect that. But I have no desire to set out against the Otomo... yet." Hideyoshi's cautious smile evaporated.

"C'mon! Aurora already controls Greenleaf and Ignis, who's to say they aren't lookin' at Fontaine?" Motochika replied by closing his eyes, a smile beginning to stretch across his face. He slid his hand up the neck of the instrument, pressing down the strings at various parts while plucking them simultaneously with his other appendage.

"While it is true I preferred you as a neighbor to Aurora, I don't believe you have much of a right to be accusing others of being aggressive, Monferno." Hideyoshi's over the top outrage transformed into a frown, and he sighed.

"Listen; I'm the last person who has a right to be sayin' this, but the longer you sit back and wait the stronger they'll get!" Motochika chuckled dryly.

"I welcome the challenge." the Water Type Warlord shifted his grip again, strumming a few chords to reflect his determination. Hideyoshi growled, his hands clenching into fists.

"You know they not only have both my tacticians, but Motonari Mori working for them as well!? Your dikes and swamps won't be able to protect the city against them." this time Motochika laughed quietly, clearly not concerned with news.

"Fine!" Hideyoshi declared, his temperament starting to get the better of him. "How 'bout this; we have a Pokémon battle! If I win, you help me take back Ignis!"

"And if you lose?" the tattooed Warlord replied. Hideyoshi immediately stopped and dropped his outstretched, accusatory arm at the response, blinking as he tried to come up with something to barter with. For once the teen was at a loss, unable to think of anything until one of his warriors cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the silence that had descended on the room.

"Then me and my warriors are at your command." Motochika opened his eyes at that, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. Was the younger Warlord across from him really that determined, or just desperate? Motochika stood up, dismissing Hideyoshi's motives, and switched from the 3/4 time signature he had been engaged in to an 8/8, his gloved fingers now furiously dancing across the instrument as his Dewott marched up to his side, recognizing the tune he was playing.

His grin had morphed into a smirk; being as that whatever the outcome of their battle would be, it would benefit Fontaine one way or another. Hideyoshi seemed to pick up on his thoughts from that simple expression, and his vision uncharacteristically hardened, casting a serious, determined outlook that gave Motochika momentary pause before he dismissed it as well.

"Then be prepared to weather the flood." his Dewott then drew its scalchops, the aquatic blades extending from both of them. Hideyoshi's Chimchar dropped down from its partner's shoulder, preparing for the inevitable battle.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ah, home sweet home." Hideyoshi sighed out, gazing down at the Fire Type Kingdom and its castle. The Warriors from Fontaine who were mixed in with Hideyoshi's own swapped glances at that, unable to completely comprehend how anyone could be happy to see, let alone live in, the sweltering, volcanic Kingdom.

"Well, we're not gettin' any younger just standing here. C'mon!" the Monferno-like Warlord ordered, descending the pass that they were on eagerly, excited for the upcoming battle for his kingdom. As he and his warriors made their way through the brick city of Ignis, getting more than a few waves and greetings from the locals, it struck Hideyoshi as odd that there were no warriors that moved to intercept him.

_"Aurora does have a small army... Maybe they're just holed up in the castle?"_ to test out his theory, the soon-to-be-no-longer-exiled Warlord ran up to the castle gates and shoved them open, charging straight into the castle with his warriors in pursuit. He and his Chimchar quickly looked around, Hideyoshi's helmeted head swinging from one end to the other, and then back to the throne room doors. He strutted up to them, pushing them open in the same haphazard manner as before, and was disappointed to see the only thing out of place in the room was a banner with the Otomo crest on it above his throne. He frowned at the sight.

_"Is there nobody here to defend the castle?"_ Hideyoshi then took a few puzzled glances around the room, as if expecting, and perhaps hoping, that warriors would leap out from behind the pillars and surround him. His hopes were for naught, though, as Koroku walked up behind him in a less than subtle manner and cleared his throat.

"Lord Hideyoshi, we've searched the castle and found no sign of Aurora." Hideyoshi gazed up at the offending banner again.

"Koroku; please don't tell me I got beaten by a guy who doesn't even have the numbers to protect his castle." Koroku stayed silent. Hideyoshi sighed dejectedly and spun around, noticing one of the Fontaine Warriors walking up to him.

"If this is all, we should be headed back to Fontaine." the Water Type warrior said, causing the Warlord to frown.

"Not yet, you're not. We may have taken back the Kingdom, but the moment that Tadashi hears about this; he'll attack." Hideyoshi, despite his still upbeat tone, had made it clear to the warrior that he and his companions would be in for the whole ride. The man gulped nervously. The Monferno-like Warlord turned back to Koroku, and then to his throne, before turning to walk out the entrance of the throne room.

"Koroku!" he shouted back, not breaking his stride. "I want that flag down by the time I'm back. I have some... preparations to make."

* * *

It was just another normal day in Aurora for its occupants; the daily grind of waking up, training and checking up on the small village that shared a name with the castle. And, chances were the day would have carried on as usual had it not been interrupted by one of the messengers who delivered mail across Ransei, this time bearing a letter addressed for the twin Warlords of Aurora. The Warlords who were gathered outside the castle gates eyed the boy curiously as he tried to explain his presence between ragged breaths, only to give up and fish through his letter-filled satchel, pulling out said envelope and handing it to the male twin before running off to his other destinations. Motonari eyed the fleeing figure with pity while Tadashi ripped the envelope open, pulling out the letter inside and reading it aloud.

"To my rival, Tadashi, and the beautiful Lady Kazumi." the opening sentence, combined with the messy scrawl that barely passed off as handwriting, immediately gave away the origin of the letter. Tadashi groaned before hesitantly carrying on.

"I would like to announce my recapture of Ignis Castle," Tadashi's blue eyes narrowed at the following sentence in parenthesis that criticized his lack of a garrison while the Warlords behind him began discussing what could be done. "and dare you to try and take it back."

"Wow. He's not even trying to be subtle." Kiyomasa remarked.

"It's obviously a trap." Mitsunari agreed.

"Yeah? Well me and Sandile can take 'em!" Masanori exclaimed, gesturing to the small, tan, reptilian Pokémon that was napping on the top of his flattened hair.

"Just too bad they have a type advantage against you, right buddy?" he asked the sleeping Pokémon, who somehow managed to respond with a snore. Mitsunari slapped his face.

"Why couldn't you have been the one to get a partner?" he asked Kiyomasa forlornly. The silver-haired kid shrugged.

"Well, we already have Motonari, Hanbei and Kanbei fighting with us, so I guess the author thought that throwing an Axew into the mix would be too much." before Mitsunari could reply, Tadashi's strong voice made itself known as he continued to read through the thinly veiled taunt that was the letter.

"Bring as many warriors as you like, we can take them. Send Hanbei and Kanbei my best wishes, and your sister my affections. Sincerely, Hideyoshi Hashiba." after he finished reading through the letter, and thoroughly enraged at the final line and sudden turn of events, Tadashi crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it as hard as he could in the direction of the village.

"I want everyone ready within the hour; we march for Ignis!" he declared. Kazumi sighed.

_"It's not like Hideyoshi is that big of a threat at this point, but if you keep rushing into things, brother..."_ her thoughts trailed off as Tadashi stormed back to the castle. She then sighed again. _"So much for a normal day..."_

* * *

"Hmm... Right on schedule." Hideyoshi remarked as he watched, via spyglass, the still-small Aurora Army descend the path he had been on only a few hours before. He lowered the golden instrument, turning to the assembled warriors at the base of the bridge to the castle.

"Everybody know the plan?" the warlord received a series of nods and various other affirmations. After that everyone just stood there for a second, unsure of what to do next, while Hideyoshi just blinked at the scene.

"Well? Whaddya waitin' for!? Hop to it!" he ordered, causing the army to immediately scatter to their assigned positions, while Hideyoshi nervously glanced back up at the pass.

_"This battle's gonna make or break us."_ he thought, before glancing downwards to his Chimchar. The Pokémon offered a reassuring smile, silently stating its confidence in his plan, and giving a measure of it to Hideyoshi. The Monferno-like Warlord knew he was no great strategist like Motonari, or even his former tacticians, but he also knew that everyone else was aware of that fact. That dismissal would work to his advantage.

Beginning to become impatient at how long Aurora was taking to arrive, the Fire Type Warlord began to pace back and forth in front of the few warriors left by him, kicking his legs out with each step and swinging them around to turn the opposite direction. The warriors who were forced to watch this tried not to laugh.

The Aurora Army finally made their way through the passes overlooking Ignis and into the city itself, and all immediately took notice of Hideyoshi and the small amount of warriors behind him.

"Is it me, or do I see Pokémon that aren't Fire Types in Hideyoshi's Army?" Hanbei questioned, causing many of his companions to inspect the sight before them.

"Maybe he recruited some wandering Warriors?" Oichi suggested.

"If we searched for warriors ourselves we might not have gotten in this pickle in the first place..." Kiyomasa commented.

"Training is more important! Power's what counts!" Masanori exclaimed, pumping a fist up in the air.

"Tch. You two never think ahead. If we developed our infrastructure we could afford to do both more efficiently." Mitsunari chided, crossing his arms.

"Meh. I just let Naoshige handle it." Tadashi put in his two-cents worth, causing Kazumi to slap her forehead and let out an exasperated sigh. Motonari, who had been more focused on the sight ahead than the conversation going on around him, raised an eyebrow at the type of Pokémon Hideyoshi's newfound warriors used.

"My? Now, what are the odds that Hideyoshi would recruit a large amount of Warriors with Water Type partners?" he mused rhetorically. Hanbei nodded in agreement at the observation.

"I wouldn't put it past Hideyoshi to ask Fontaine for help." Kanbei's dark eyes narrowed at his counterpart's statement.

"If that is the case, then we have sufficient justification to invade them once this flame has been extinguished." Oichi visibly bristled at the Ghost Tactician's comment, his logic bringing up memories of someone she had done her best to bury.

"We're almost there." Kazumi announced with a half-whisper, causing the idle conversation within their group to immediately die down. Tadashi and his Eevee took a step forward as their group came to a halt a good distance from Hideyoshi's, sandwiched between a maze of buildings and alleys, and Hideyoshi did likewise with his Chimchar. The two did their usual back and forth, but Motonari paid the banter little heed as a sudden movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. His head turned in the direction he saw it, but, when met with nothing out of the ordinary, was ready to simply dismiss it as his aging eyes playing tricks on him.

Perhaps that would have held up had not his Servine seemed to notice the same oddity, glaring in the direction that he had been moments ago, but refusing to tear its gaze away, alerting the mossy man that there indeed was something unknown going on around the Aurora Army. Motonari then noticed that Tadashi's and Hideyoshi's banter was dragging on unusually long, since, by now, his impulsive lord would have ordered his Eevee to use a Quick Attack and the battle would have begun. Hideyoshi was stalling, but for what?

The Warlord did not want to wait to find out.

"Leaf Tornado, if you would." to the shock of everyone in the area, Motonari was the first to order an attack, tilting his head at the next alley over from where he had noticed the disturbance. The gust of leaves immediately kicked up and shot into the passage, causing the warriors attempting to sneak up behind them to run out in a frenzied panic.

"Gah! We've been found out!" Hideyoshi exclaimed in overly dramatic surprise, causing Tadashi to do a double take as all hell broke loose.

_"Monferno usually isn't this blatantly obvious. Something else isn't right."_ whatever doubts or concerns the Warlord had at Hideyoshi's exclamation, he had to immediately shove them to the side as the opposing Chimchar charged his partner, paws aglow in preparation for Fury Swipes.

"Dodge with Dig!" he commanded, his Eevee managing to escape by the skin of its teeth by digging the tunnel in time.

"Use Ember to flush it out!" Hideyoshi countered, the small head of his Chimchar popping over the edge of the tunnel before releasing the barrage of small flames. The ground underneath the Pokémon immediately gave out, and a scorched Eevee collided with Cimchar's gut headfirst, launching it back.

"Follow up with a Quick Attack and Bite!"

"Keep it away from you with a Ember!" Chimchar, lacking nothing when it came to dexterity, managed to use the propulsion to its advantage and land safely via a flip, spraying out Ember multiple occasions as the Fire Type readjusted itself midair to keep Eevee from jumping up and smashing it. Unfortunately, the moment the lithe Pokémon landed, it left itself vulnerable to the Evolution Pokémon's own momentum, and the Normal Type slammed into the Chimp Pokémon with abandon. Chimchar fell backwards before the Evolution Pokémon could latch its jaw onto it, and Hideyoshi once again used the tumbling momentum his opponent's Pokémon had forced upon them to their advantage.

"Flame Wheel!" the rolling Chimchar quickly was consumed by a wheel of flames, and deftly spun around and raced at Eevee.

"Cover Eevee with Sand Attack!" both Warlord's heads turned as they heard Kazumi give out the order to her own partner, having freed herself from the rage of the nearby battle long enough to lend assistance to her co-Warlord. Soon a cloud of dust and sand blanketed the distance between the Aurora and Ignis Warlords, causing the latter's Pokémon to double back from its attack. None of the Auroran's could see Hideyoshi's impish grin at the predicted development.

"Fall back!" he shouted with as much faux-concern he could muster, being loud enough to be heard by his nearby warriors and the twin Warlords that were across from him, but no one else, before turning and running back across the bridge to his castle. Tadashi had heard his command, and despite intuition telling him otherwise, he and Eevee gave chase. Kazumi followed, knowing that it would not end well if he just charged into the enemy castle without any support. Motonari took notice of the absence of the three Warlords, and caught the retreating figures of the Aurorans as they crossed the wooden bridge chasing the slim, cream-wearing figure as he fled back into his castle. The Greenleafer immediately smelled a trap and gave chase himself.

Hideyoshi entered the castle at a maddening pace, trying to appear as frantic as possibly in order to goad the two porcelain-covered Warlords into moving faster, a ploy which surprisingly worked. He sped into his Throne Room, gesturing for the nearby warriors to bar the castle doors once the Auroran Warlords were within the premises, which they did just in time to cut off the path of a certain strategist. It was not long before the next phase of the Monferno-like Warlord's plan had been set into action, and the twin Warlords found themselves in the middle of his Throne Room, side to side, staring down the male Warlord as a handful of his mooks surrounded them.

"Great going, Tadashi." the girl berated under her breath, something her twin seemed to pick up on.

"Yeah, well you followed me."

"To make sure you'd have someone to cover your back when this happened." Tadashi frowned, but quickly came up with another whispered reply.

"Look on the bright side; Hideyoshi also cut himself off from his army as well." he whispered back, causing Kazumi to raise a thin eyebrow.

_"I suppose it's true that this could work for us. It's not like Hideyoshi's that power-"_ her train of thought was derailed by the Ignite clearing his throat.

"If you're done whispering; I got a battle to win." he proclaimed boldly, extending his arms in the air grandly, soliciting a few snickers from his two opponents. He frowned, and motioned for Koroku and his grunts to surround them.

"Deja vu." Tadashi commented, clearly unconcerned, his sister responding with casual nod, not even focusing on the warriors surrounding them.

"Chimchar! Ember!"

"Block it with Sand Attack, Eevee!"

"Help Tadashi and Eevee with Helping Hand!"

"No you don't! Bidoof; Headbutt!" the Throne Room completely fell into chaos. The sandscreen, powered further by Helping Hand, shot up and managed to obscure the vision of the Fire Type, causing the flames it shot out to miss its targets horribly, but hit pretty much everything around them, from the pillars, to the floors, and Koroku's charging Bidoof. The heat caused the cloud of dirt and sand to disperse, but the distraction provided enough time for the Aurorans to refocus on Koroku's Bidoof, and the Tepig and Pansear that were assisting it.

"Dig!"

"Scatter them with Shadow Ball!" Tadashi's Eevee immediately burrowed underneath the castle floors, once again to Hideyoshi's chagrin, and the slighter shorter Eevee that was still aboveground opened its mouth, unleashing a ball of purple energy upon the three Ignis Pokémon. Pansear and Tepig quickly fled in fear, both being taken out by Eevee's Dig in quick order, but Bidoof stood its ground and took the hit, coming out unscathed due to its immunity.

"Fury Swipes!" Kazumi and her Eevee turned around just in time to see Hideyoshi's Chimchar rush up, quickly raking her Pokémon across the face with its paws, shouting out its name like it was a mantra.

"Stop it with Bite!" the male twin ordered, his attention quickly shifting from Koroku to his 'rival'.

"Keep it from reaching Lord Hideyoshi with Harden!" the burly warrior exclaimed. The plump Normal Type ran as fast as it could, somehow its tiny legs managing to outmaneuver Tadashi's Eevee, and with a slight sheen emanating off of it from the stat-boosting move, managed to force the Evolution Pokémon to redirect its attack. While Tadashi's Eevee bit down on the other Normal Type that had hindered it, Chimchar finished up its barrage on Kazumi's Eevee with a particularly powerful sideswipe, sending the scratched Eevee to the side, who let out a pained squeal at the stinging sensation across its marked face. Hideyoshi let out a small grin at that, noticing that Kazumi was already running over to pick up her injured partner, and then took a glance at Tadashi's Eevee, which was beginning to apply even more pressure to the struggling Bidoof.

The Monferno-like Warlord knew that he wouldn't have much time before Tadashi finished off Koroku and his Bidoof, so he quickly turned tail and fled out one of the side doors, the impish smirk returning to his face. He had already separated the Aurora Warlords from their army, which left only one final phase to the plan he had concocted.

"Coward..." Tadashi grunted as he caught the last of Hideyoshi's orange scarf through the doorframe, his Eevee crunching down on Bidoof's abdomen, breaking the defense it had raised and knocking it out. Koroku scurried to retrieve his fallen Pokémon and flee, while Tadashi tossed a few Oran Berries to his sister. The brunette then motioned for his Eevee to follow, giving chase to the fleeing Warlord.

* * *

"Hey, Kiyomasa?" Masanori chirped, ignoring the battle. The boy in green raised an eyebrow, but replied rather than questioned the questionable action.

"Yeah?"

"How come you're here? You don't really have a Pokémon or anything, so..." the kid in question frowned.

"Well, someone has to keep you and Mitsunari from fighting each other instead of the enemy." Mitsunari, who was habitually nearby, took offense at the comment. But before he could abandon his own battle and offer up a snarky comeback, an Electro Ball from Hanbei's Pikachu shook the nearby area and forced the combined Ignite-Fontainian warriors to fall back for a moment.

"You're welcome." the tactician chided before looking over the scene. "Huh, so the twins aren't with you either?"

"I saw them run after Hideyoshi." Kiyomasa remarked. Hanbei's gaze quickly shifted to the castle and the bridge before it, noticing that a large amount of opposing warriors were on it, fighting, or perhaps more accurately attempting to contain, someone who was at the gates. Hanbei and his Pikachu sprinted at a surprisingly fast pace in the direction, intent on piercing the cordon of enemies.

* * *

The two Warlords found themselves on the second floor of Ignis' castle, the only place that Hideyoshi could have feasibly fled to, facing down a fork in the hallways. Tadashi gave a silent nod to his sister before running down the left, leaving her to take the right into the maze of twisting hallways and rooms that was the second floor. She walked through the hallway slowly, noticing that with each step she took the passage seemed to get darker, with less torches and windows to light the hallway. Her own steps started to creak, the sound echoing off the drab walls, creating an unnerving affect.

The twin's heart skipped a beat when she felt something clawing against her boot, but she quickly recovered as she realized it was only her partner, silently begging to be carried, apparently just as nervous about the dim location as she was. She picked up the Pokémon, hesitantly continuing forward, inwardly debating if she should turn back around the twisting way she came and try to find her twin. She failed to notice, or hear, a figure drop down from the ceiling behind her, grinning widely and rubbing his hands together like some evil, world domination-bent mastermind at what he was about to do. He snuck up behind her with the same stealth as before, careful to avoid touching the brunette's long ponytail, and leaned in.

"Boo!" Kazumi shrieked, causing her Eevee to squeal, and both jumped a few feet down the hallway to get away from the laughing Warlord. The white and purple wearing Warlord quickly calmed down and spun around, shooting Hideyoshi a death glare.

"Really, Monferno?" she questioned, arms crossed and a scowl plastered on her slim face. Hideyoshi just continued laughing, clutching the cream material of his tunic as he bent over.

"Oh, that was priceless. You shoulda seen the look on your face." he managed to edge out, taking a few deep breaths as his laughter quieted down.

"What look on my face? I can barely see my own hand in here, and you were behind me!" Hideyoshi shrugged.

"Eh, it's not that difficult to imagine. Now," the opposing Warlord began, the primary source of light near him, the tail-flame of his Chimchar, illuminating a certain determination in his eyes before shifting as the Pokemon moved in front of him. "Flame Wheel!"

The narrow hallway immediately brightened up as the Ignite's partner was enveloped in wheel of fire, far faster than what could be considered usual, barreling towards Kazumi's Eevee in a frightening inferno that caused it to freeze up momentarily. The Pokémon slammed into the Normal Type, launching it backwards.

"Quick Attack!" she shouted. Her Eevee bounded back to its haunches before launching off at the Fire Type.

"Ready..." Hideyoshi ordered, his Chimchar raising its lanky arms over its head in preparation for the oncoming strike. Just as Eevee took its final step, lunging forward to slam into Chimchar, Hideyoshi saw his opportunity. "Now! Fury Swipes!"

Chichar brought down its claws, slamming Eevee into the ground as it raked them across its brown face, destroying any hopes the Pokémon had landing an attack. To Kazumi's horror, Chimchar continued slashing at the Eevee, before unleashing a barrage of close range Embers, sending it sprawling backwards, unconscious by the time it rolled to the base of its partner. Her face, what little of it was visible due to the flicker of nearby flames, looked shell-shocked at how Hideyoshi had managed to not only defeat her, but in such a short order too. He seemed to pick up on her thoughts as the girl stiffly crouched down to pick up her Pokémon.

"Ya know, I actually have to thank you for taking Ignis off my hand for a few days." The girl raised her head slowly to meet his gaze, dreading what could possibly happen next.

"I found I had a _whole_ lotta free time on my hands since I didn't have to manage a kingdom, which I could use to train for this battle." he explained, pacing back and forth before turning back to her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me; I think I have to go find your brother. Sayonara!" Hideyoshi then pulled out a small, round ball of some unknown material and threw it to the ground, causing a short eruption of smoke. By the time it settled, the Warlord and the light-providing Pokémon with him were gone, leaving the female twin both confused and alone.

* * *

"Thunder Wave!" Hanbei ordered. The warriors in front of him were taken off guard by the command from behind, and the wave of paralyzing electricity enveloped both them and their Pokémon before the could react. The narcoleptic took advantage of their momentary stiffness to run up to the beleaguered Warlord and his Servine.

"Thank you, Hanbei." Motonari acknowledge graciously, though his gaze was directed at his exhausted Servine. The endless barrage of attacks, narrow space they had been cornered in, and the temperature of the environment were beginning to take its toll on the Pokémon, and the Grass Type used the momentary pause in the conflict to unleash a few Leech Seeds on the closest opposing Pokémon. Hanbei gave a quick nod in return and continued his to his destination, running up to the large doors of the castle, arms out to shove them open. Motonari turned to warn him, but the tactician simply crashed into them and fell down before he could, the heavy doors barely budging in response.

The Ignite scowled, and pointed at the door.

"Iron Tail!" The door failed to hold up against the powerful assault from Pikachu, and they swung open, nearly falling off their hinges while the bar that was being used to barricade it was snapped in half from the force. Hanbei ran into the castle, intent on helping his newfound allies, while Motonari turned back to the battle, taking a few steps back along with his Servine to gain some more room to maneuver.

The tactician quickly made his way up the stairs, finding himself on the second level just as Hideyoshi was exiting the left hallway. The Warlord's face brightened at seeing his ex-tactician, and dropping all concerns about a battle, he went up to greet him.

"Heya, Hanbei. How's the whole apprentice thing goin' for ya?" Hanbei gave a noncommittal shrug and put on one of his signature grins.

"Not too bad. Motonari really has a knack for teaching, though. Do you want a demonstration of a few tactics he's showed me?" Hideyoshi's upbeat grin quickly dissolved into a nervous one.

"No thanks! But I do think that Kazumi could use some help." he replied hastily, taking a glance back at the way he came from. Hanbei's own smile faded away into a more neutral expression of curiosity. "Poor girl's bound to get lost in there, if she isn't already. Oh, and tell her I'm sorry about spookin' her."

Before Hanbei could question anything, Hideyoshi sped off down the opposite path at a pace that could make a Rapidash blush, leaving no room to argue. Hanbei scratched the back of his head at his former lord's eccentric behavior, but decided it was better to go help the female twin instead of pursuing the Monferno-like man.

* * *

Tadashi wandered down the sprawling hallways of the second floor, checking every room for a sign of the Ignis Warlord. Finally as he came upon a large, open space that seemed to serve as a training room, he heard a singsong voice from behind him, resulting in the Warlord spining around only to be met with thin air.

"Believe it or not, Hideyoshi isn't there, please leave a message after the taunt. I must be somewhere else, or I'd be fighting you. Where could I be? Believe it or not; I'm not here!" the Ignite's high-pitched song echoed and bounced off the walls, giving Tadashi no indication as to his location. That didn't stop him from running back the way he came, glancing in the rooms and passages he passed.

_"What moron designed this floor?"_ he thought in frustration, tempted to scream in anger at how confounding the layout was. His elusive opponent, who in fact was following the unaware attacker, snickered silently in amusement as he watched his rival run around frantically in a search for him. The Ignite looked down to his Chimchar, who shared his entertainment at their opponent's frustration, and gave it a silent nod. The two snuck up behind him, and Hideyoshi was about to order an Ember just as he spun back around in his search. Tadashi stepped back in surprise, but quickly recovered and pointed at the Fire Type Warlord.

"Quick Attack!" his Eevee took no time in stalling, bouncing across the room as a barrage of small flames filled the hallway. It collided with Hideyoshi's Chimchar, who responded by unleashing a close range Ember before being completely launched back.

"Flame Wheel!"

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" the two combatants unleashed their perspective attacks, Eevee easily dodging the Chimp Pokémon at first, but as the over-glorified game of tag carried on, Chimchar's Flame Wheel began to build up momentum and speed, quickly turning the tide and causing Eevee's motions to become more frantic and sloppy. Both Warlords knew it would only be a matter of time before the attack connected.

"Eevee, stop!" The Pokémon, though hesitant, was aware of the dangerous ploy its partner had in mind via their link, and came to a halt, letting the Fire Type get dangerously close to hitting it. "Jump!"

The Normal Type quickly launched itself upwards with another Quick Attack, letting Chimchar smash into the wall behind it, effectively putting a stop to its charge, and then brought itself down on the dazed Pokémon. Hideyoshi grinned, again seeing another opportunity.

"Fury Swipes!" With Eevee still atop it, Chimchar quickly raked its paws across its face, eliciting a pained yelp.

"Stop it with Bite!" as the Chimp Pokémon brought down its other, free paw to strike Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon opened its mouth and bit down on the appendage. This caused Chimchar to halt its attack immediately, and the Fire Type's partner immediately scowled.

"Get it off you with an Ember!" The Fire Type calmed itself down long enough unleash another volley of flames, which resulted in Eevee releasing the grip on its hand. The Chimp Pokémon then pushed the Normal Type off it with a kick to the stomach, and quickly scampered back to Hideyoshi's side to lick its wounds. Eevee rolled back to Tadashi, and the Auroran could already tell the attacks had done more damage than he thought they would. He then stole a glance at Hideyoshi's side, and could tell that Chimchar was nearing the end of its rope as well, and the next few attacks would be probably decisive. Of course, there was the fact that half of his Eevee's moves were unfeasible due to them being on the second story of the castle, and that gave Hideyoshi an innate advantage. Both seemed to sense this, but Tadashi refused to back down despite the uphill struggle. His hands tightened into fists, his eyes narrowed in determination, and with a clear confidence in his Pokémon's abilities, he pointed at Hideyoshi and his Chimchar.

"Eevee!" he shouted, the strength in his voice causing all attention to land on him. "No quarter! Quick Attack!"

The Normal Type bolted off at a startling fast pace, quickly covering the floor in the streak of light it usually left in its wake when it used the attack. Hideyoshi and Chimchar had no time to react; the Evolution Pokémon slamming into the Fire Type and knocking it backwards. The Chimp Pokémon made an attempt to get up, trying to push itself back upright with its paws, only for another Quick Attack to dash any hopes of a recovery. Chimchar made no attempt to stand back up that time, and Tadashi let out a sigh of relief. With Hideyoshi defeated, the battle was, for all intents and purposes, decided. The brunette Warlord heard Hideyoshi let out a heavy sigh, sulking over to his defeated Pokémon and picking it up.

"Well, there's no use denyin' it; we're beat." Tadashi nodded in agreement, picking up his own partner and letting the Pokémon rest on his black shoulderplate. Hideyoshi then turned back to his self-proclaimed rival, looking at him with an emotion Tadashi couldn't quite place. Disappointment? Respect? Relief? Tadashi shrugged, and Hideyoshi closed the distance between them.

"I have a feelin' that this won't be the last time our paths cross, rival." he stated, again to Tadashi's agreement. Hideyoshi then pursed his lips. "Well, 'til then; do me a favor and take good care of Ignis, would ya?"

Tadashi raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request, but nodded silently, giving the Monferno-like Warlord an affirmation. He seemed to cheer up again and gave a nod of his own before walking away from the other Warlord. There was nothing left for him here. Tadashi let out another sigh as Hideyoshi disappeared around a corner, slumping back against the adjacent wall in exhaustion, but relief over the outcome.

* * *

A loud clap of thunder echoed from the perpetually dark skies of Violight, a common occurrence in the Electric Type Kingdom that failed to startle anyone. Inside the lightning rod-riddled castle, the Warlord was busy polishing her sword in the light provided by a flickering candle, her Luxio busy napping nearby. Another clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning. Ginchiyo paid it no heed, carrying on meticulously with her work.

It was only when the doors to her room burst open and a group of panicked warriors poured into her room did her focus undivided attention shift from the blade as she inspected its sheen, content to see her own face in the steel.

"Report." she ordered curtly, most of her focus still on the weapon.

"W-We're under attack!" one of the soldiers cried out. This time Ginchiyo turned her gaze to her subordinates, eyeing the one in the front with a piercing gaze.

"By who?"

"We don't know! This guy just showed up out of the blue and demanded to be let in!" the female Warlord frowned, her countenance quickly hardening as she stood up to face the warrior.

"Is this some kind of joke, soldier? I am not amused." her grip on the blade tightened, causing many of the warriors to take a few cautionary steps backwards. Before the terrified man could reassure her that this was not some elaborate prank, as if any of them were suicidal enough to try to pull one on their harsh leader to begin with, the loud sound of an explosion, one that was clearly not induced by the never ending thunderstorm, shook the structure. That was all the affirmation the woman needed, and her Luxio quickly bounded to her side as the warriors parted before following her, more afraid of what punishment she would concoct for their cowardice than the unknown threat if they failed to follow.

It was not long before the Warlord and her warriors found themselves in the entrance to the courtyard, and even the steely woman was taken aback at the scene.

The entire front gate, steel and all, had been blown to pieces, which were scattered across the once pristine courtyard. Flames and smoke engulfed the entrance and immediate area, preventing any true assessment of the damage done, though she could make out two figures in the midst of the clout, and her warriors already swarming to the mess with their Pokémon in an attempt to halt the intruder and pull out their unconscious allies who failed at doing so. Ginchiyo stepped forward to join her warriors in battle against this menace, only to stop dead in her short tracks as a massive, purple beam blew out from the scene of the battle in a sweeping motion, enveloping both warrior and Pokémon alike and launching them back.

"Ginchiyo!" her eyes darted to the side for a moment, long enough to see Muneshige and two other warriors emerge from the castle, all, even the usually unflappable Junior Warlord, clearly panic stricken by the sudden commotion. But that was all the attention the woman could afford to spare. Apparently content with rendering almost all of the unprepared Violight Army unconscious, the two figures began to move towards the edge of the flames and smoke that concealed them. The Luxio next to the Warlord growled at them, as if that act would deter the unknown assailants. Finally the first figure made its way through the smoke, revealing itself to be a massive, seemingly three-headed, purple and black Dragon Type that managed to strike a sense of dread into the four warriors still remaining. The other figure took a step forward as well, the heat of the flames combining with the coverage of the smoke making his figure almost waft through the carnage before he emerged from it.

Ginchiyo had no idea who the cloaked figure before them was, but that was inconsequential to her at the moment. What mattered to her was preserving her pride and expelling this interloper.

"Thunderbolt, Luxio!" the feline Pokémon next to her shouted out its name with aplomb before unleashing the attack straight at the Hydreigon, who made no move to dodge. The streaking lightning made contact with the massive Pokémon, an overwhelming voltage coursing through its body before discharging as the attack died down. The Pokémon blinked, and then began to chuckle gleefully as if the attack tickled.

The man next to the Pokémon said nothing, though he had grown a smirk by this point, and the Violight Warlord across from them gawked.

"Air Slash, Staravia!" she heard Muneshige, who had been glued to his spot nearby the entrance, order. The sharp gale soared by her and Luxio, aimed at the pseudo-legendary who once again remained motionless. It collided with the Pokémon, who merely shrugged off the impact as if Staravia was throwing feathers at it.

"Dragon Pulse." Ginchiyo barely had any time to react, diving aside as the beam erupted from the Dual Type's maw, shooting across the courtyard and enveloping Luxio before moving upwards to Muneshige and Staravia, colliding with the both of them and forcing the two remaining warriors to the side. All three members of the Violight Army who were hit by the attack were sent sprawling backwards, rendered unconscious from the sheer strength of the attack. One of the warriors that accompanied Muneshige moved to pull him back, while the still conscious brunette Warlord, who was struggling to stand straight, made out a dark chuckle from the attacker.

"And Nobunaga was under the impression that Violight hosted the strongest warriors in western Ransei." he mused, his smirk refusing to subside. Ginchiyo could feel her blood boil at that. This lone warrior, who did not even look to be part of an army, had not only the guts to attack them for no apparent reason, the strength to brush them aside like they were insects, but then had the gall to mock them in his supposed victory!?

The Warlord's hand quickly went to her sheathed blade, feeling both the electricity surge through the weapon and her gauntlet as she gripped the hilt, and her bruised pride cry out for recompense. She drew the sword and charged at the cloaked man, the tip of her blade aimed at his chest. The Hydreigon next to him growled protectively, threatening to tear apart the impudent woman who dared to charge its master, but Ginchiyo paid the threat no heed. Anger and a desire for vengeance overrode reason and fear, and the man next to the Dual Type dropped his smirk at her courage. He gestured for the Pokémon to stand back, which it did hesitantly, and he took a casual step forward while the Violight Warlord continued to charge him valiantly, albeit recklessly.

Right as she was within striking distance, the electrified blade nearing dangerously close to his exposed neck, he finally reacted. With a dexterity that took the Tachibana heiress off guard, the assailant threw the cloak back and drew his own blade, having been concealed underneath the blue fabric. With a single hand he brought the obsidian metal up to meet Ginchiyo's vigorous assault, who applied all her might into the first strike that quickly dissolved into a deadlock. The woman grunted as she applied more pressure into her assault, only for the gridlock between the two blades to hold up as the attacker, holding up his sword with only one arm, showed no signs of budging. Sparks of electricity flew off the attacking blade as its owner become more and more frustrated, refusing to believe that someone with this type of strength could possibly exist.

It seemed her opponent was fed up with her vain struggling, and the cloaked simply stepped to the side, sliding his weapon out from their deadlock and causing Ginchiyo to lose her balance in the process. The woman stumbled forward, and gravity was assisted by a quick and painful jab to the back of her neck via the pommel of her opponent's blade. She used the sudden momentum to her advantage, pulling off a somersault to regain some distance between herself and her opponent. The Violight Warlord spun around, noticing that her opponent had made no move to attack or follow, rather letting his cloak fall over his figure and blade once again. The Electric Type Warlord took a deep breath, using this momentary and impromptu reprieve to refocus herself. Her rage had blinded her; making her form sloppy and attacks ill-timed, something that her foe easily took advantage of. She advanced again cautiously, noticing that Shoun, Muneshige's father and the warrior that pulled him to safety in the aftermath of the Dragon Pulse, was descending the stairs to the keep with his spears in hand. The two Violight Warlords advanced on the lone assailant, his Hydreigon still abstaining from the conflict, and rushed forward simultaneously.

The swordsman took a swift sidestep, bringing his own obsidian blade down on the three weapons that were all aimed for him, causing another deadlock that was much more short lived. Shoun repositioned his short spears and flicked them upwards, casting the cloaked man's own sword upwards and leaving his concealed chest vulnerable to a attack from Ginchiyo. But he was too quick, managing to spin out of the attack, tossing both his tattered cloak and conical hat in the direction of the two to buy himself a few seconds to regain his posture.

Cutting the distractions in half with her electrified sword, the woman finally got a good look at the attacker; an imposing man clad in pitch-black plate armor, loosely holding his sword in one hand as if he had nothing to be concerned of. His gaze was piercing, almost paralyzing so, and he seemed to exert a presence that would have made anyone with less pride than herself cower.

She raised her sword, assuming a more defensive stand against the intruder while Shoun twirled his own weapons into a more balanced form. The man simply chuckled at the display and charged at them, his cumbersome armor seemingly having no effect on his flexibility, quickly closing the gap between himself and the two experienced warriors. He aimed his thrust at Ginchiyo, who barely had time to move her blade to parry the tip of his, and Shoun took the opportunity to bring down his spears on him. The man simply spun around, blocking the two weapons before building off his momentum and slashing back at the Electric Type Warlord as she attempted to take out his legs. Ginchiyo was forced to take a step back, abandoning her offensive as the man repositioned himself a good foot away from the two.

He lazily watched as the two spread out on each side of him, futilely attempting to strike out at him simultaneously once again. Both Violight warriors lunged forward, and the man frowned, managing to bring up his blade at an angle that caused a three-way deadlock. His flicked his wrist, sending all the fighting implements skywards, and built off his advantage by delivering a heavy kick to Ginchiyo's sternum. The woman fell back, heaving as all the breath escaped her chest, but the attacker was not yet finished. Continuing his relentless assault, in a single fluid motion, he deftly cut both the heads off of Shoun's spears before bringing his sword up by the hilt and slamming it into the man's unprotected jaw, and then bashed it into his chest. Shoun stumbled back and fell down, unconscious before he hit the stones that decorated the courtyard-turned-battlefield, but Ginchiyo managed to shakily stumble back to her feet, hunched over as she made the best show she could of holding up her weapon, ignoring every aching protest her exhausted body made to the contrary.

"Y-You'll never have this kingdom... On my honor and life!" she declared wearily, her breathing ragged, though by this point even she knew that the statement was unbecoming. To her horror, the man simply began to laugh at her declaration.

"You believe Nobunaga is here for Violight? How... quaint." that statement, and the laugh that followed, was enough to push the exhausted Warlord over the edge. Her knees buckled out from underneath her, and she could feel her body hit the hard ground. Barely conscious, with her face facing the direction of the keep, she could make out the purple tailcoat of the man as he moved in its direction, followed by his Hydreigon, and the lone remaining warrior that dared to stand in his way.

"Father..." she managed to choke out with a final breath, pleading with the final member of her army before her gaze became a blurry haze. But even in that, Ginchiyo's hearing remained, and she could make out the exchange between the two.

"Y-you! I know why you're here!" the downed woman heard the man laugh in the same cold, apathetic way as before.

"And?"

"I will defend what my lord charged me with my life! Come at me!" Ginchiyo heard Dosetsu draw his blade, and though confused at his statement, she managed to refocus her vision long enough to see the attacker swing his blade at the crippled man, much to her horror, but rather than simply cut across Dosetsu, he sliced through the cane that was supporting his weight, causing him to fall down.

The Warlord's sight became blurry once again as the two figures entered the now vacant castle, no remaining to halt their advance, and Ginchiyo inwardly screamed at herself and her unresponsive body in frustration. But, both to a great deal of relief and anxiety, nothing seemingly happened; simply an uncomfortable and tense silence in which she struggled to stay conscious. It was broken by a streak of lightning. That was to be expected, but when it was joined in quick succession by dozens of others, all containing a bluish tint to them and seemingly being drawn to the main lightning rod of the castle, the semi-conscious Warlord knew that the assailant had succeeded in obtaining whatever he came for. A final burst of electricity erupted from the metallic structure, spreading out in a massive wave that blanketed the courtyard and its downed occupants.

Everything went black for Ginchiyo.


	13. Chapter 13

Oichi looked over the five assembled Warlords, who were hunched over the dining room table, which had been converted into a makeshift war room do to the lack of an actual one in the small castle. The five were going on about the plans for an attack on Fontaine; Hanbei and Kanbei doing most of the talking, Motonari occasionally correcting errors in the planning, Tadashi commenting and inquiring every once in a while, and Kazumi observing the trio of strategists and their methods with a surprising interest.

"The main obstacle to reaching the city would be this river, here." Motonari pointed to said waterway on the topographic map spread out on the table, detailing the layout of the southern peninsula of Ransei in a series of lines and colors that spilled into each other, creating a disturbing effect that reminded Oichi about old tales of the battlefields of Ransei before Pokémon became the mainstay of armies.

"The swamp before it will bog down any movement we make, and then there is the matter of the river itself. It's controlled by a series of flood gates, and if we tried to cross it the Fontainians could just alter the water level and try to wash us out. And if we do somehow cross it, and whatever else is in store, we will still have a battle to fight." Kanbei nodded in concurrence with Motonari's assessment.

"Formidable defenses indeed. There is also the fact that they will be able to rain down attacks on us as we try to cross." Hanbei put a finger to his chin, gazing over the map before them.

"What did you do when you invaded Fontaine, Lord Motonari?" the mossy man in question blinked, dredging up an old memory that he preferred to keep buried, being as the situation demanded it.

"It was really just a spot of good timing, to be honest. That year there was a particularly bad drought, and most of the swamp and riverbed dried up." Tadashi sighed disappointedly.

"And with all the rain we've had lately..."

"Yes, the weather is a fickle mistress," Motonari mused. "At one moment it can be your ally, and the next your enemy." Hanbei's eyes continued to glance over the map, his mind running over the pertaining facts, searching for something that was perhaps overlooked. When that failed to produce any results, he began tapping his temple with his knuckles, as if spurring his mind to think beyond the conventional methods.

"What if..." the tactician in white began, drawing the attention of the assembly to him. "We bypassed the river entirely?"

"And how would we do that?" Kanbei asked in his usual deadpan, which failed to give away a genuine curiosity in the proposal or a chiding of it. Hanbei stayed silent for a moment, taking a quick glance at the marker on the map that designated a certain spot as Fontaine. He then glanced back to the green mess of lines and splotches that was where the swamp and river were located.

_"Fontaine is our destination, but those lowlands will be the battlefield because they're the only way to it. What if we changed the way we tried to get to Fontaine? It's surrounded by water on three sides, so..."_ Hanbei blinked as the last of his plan came together, and he quickly put it to words.

"We sail there." Kanbei blinked dully.

"That would be plausible, if we had any ships to use."

"Actually," Motonari interjected, "Greenleaf does have some ships to use. But the problem still lies in the fact that Fontaine outnumbers us in terms of ships, and we would have to sail around the entire southern coast to get to the Kingdom." Hanbei's gaze fell downwards as his hopes sank.

"But; I do believe you're on the right track," Motonari mused, inflating Hanbei's confidence while casting his gaze back over the map. "While it is true that Fontaine's navy outnumbers us, I could lead Greenleaf's forces in a diversion, letting the rest of you cross the river unhindered."

"And that would mean they would either have to divide their forces, or risk being caught in a pincer." the ghostly tactician interjected. The blue-wearing man next to him gave a nod in the affirmative, a slight smile sneaking onto his features at the plan.

"Yes. A simplistic maneuver, but one that they have no sure-fire defense against." Tadashi, witnessing the plan unfolding before him, gave an affirmative nod.

"How long would it take to get everything ready?" Motonari put a gloved hand to his chin, immediately working for an answer.

"About two days, perhaps three. We would need to inspect the ships to make sure they're still seaworthy, and, regardless of any repairs, the weather would need to be favorable."

And, while the five carried on with their planning for the next battle, Oichi remained silent, drowned in the noise of her own thoughts and doubts. Though strength would be necessary if they were to stand against him, was this just? Would this path she set out upon only end with one ruthless conqueror replacing another? And how far away was Nobunaga? How many kingdoms had he destroyed in the time she left, and how many was she willing to put at risk to stop him?

These thoughts swirled around in her head like a nest of angry Beedrill, refusing to subside and swarming her mind in a tide of doubt. When she had fled from the man she once knew as her brother, things seemed so clear; her goal so obvious and path so just. But, after watching the prolonged struggle between Aurora and Ignis, the surrounding Kingdoms who had no stake in the conflict getting dragged into it, and the stress of it all starting to bear down on the warlords, the girl found herself wondering if her cause was truly so noble, if the costs were worth it. Was there even a just side in this conflict anymore? Could they even be said to be better than Nobunaga?

"Oichi?" the auburn-haired girl blinked as she heard her name being called out, quickly snapping out of her daze at realizing that Tadashi's bluish-grey eyes were boring into hers with concern.

"I-I'm fine." she offered up with an uneasy smile. Tadashi frowned slightly. She was a terrible liar.

"Are you sure?" Oichi's smile trembled a bit at his questioning, but she still tried to maintain her calm veneer.

"Of course," the girl replied hastily. "I'm just... a bit occupied with some thoughts." the Warlord pursed his lips in a neutral expression, unsure if he should press further or leave her to them. Ultimately he gave her an empathetic nod, deciding that it would both be more kind to give her some space and that he would probably make things worse if he tried to help, and left the room.

* * *

"So... what to do?" Hanbei mused, laying on top of his unmade bed, eyes closed as he tried, and surprisingly failed, to nap.

"I would not expect you of all people to be asking me that." the tactician in white's counterpart replied, not even bothering to turn from his desk to look at Hanbei. The teen shrugged nonchalantly, edging an eye open.

"Well, we will have a few days to ourselves from the sound of it, and even I know I can't spend the entire time sleeping." Kanbei ran a hand through his hair, which Hanbei noted was still half-black, and let out a sigh.

"I imagine you can start by cleaning up that mess you call a workplace." he commented dryly, still focused on the piece of paper before his eyes. The other tactician crossed his arms and sat upright, a slight frown on his face.

"C'mon Kanbei, you just can't stay cooped up in here forever. It'd do you some good to go out every once in a while."

"You just desire an excuse to not have to work." Hanbei pouted, taking a glance out the window of their room and to the village below.

"At least it's a valid one." he replied with a muttered whisper before readdressing his friend. "Even so, it's still a good idea to know your surroundings. You don't want to get lost if we come under attack, do you?" Kanbei put down his quill, frowning as he inwardly folded, and turned to meet the other Ignite.

"Very well. Where will you drag me off to this time?" Hanbei gave another non-committal shrug, causing Kanbei to raise an eyebrow, a subtle disbelief crossing his face. "You don't even know where you want to go?"

"Part of moving, I guess. Besides; keeps you on your toes." the narcoleptic swung himself off the mattress, grabbing his floppy beret off the nightstand and placing it on his matted mess of black hair. He walked to the door of their room, a sullen and still reluctant Kanbei in tow, and turned back to his bed before opening it.

"We'll be back in a while, Pikachu."

The Pokémon, who was resting on his pillow, replied with a contented sigh while Kanbei let out one in concert, frustrated at the reminder of how spontaneous and ill-planned this excursion was. The duo finally left the room, and soon the castle without any fanfare, finding themselves on the dirt road that led to the village. Kanbei raised his gauntleted hand to cover his eyes, squinting as the sun nearly blinded him. Hanbei smirked, opened his mouth to make a quip, but a quick glance from the pale youth caused the words to die in his throat. Deciding that the silence that had settled between them was undesirable, and that this would be a good opportunity to talk with the usually laconic tactician, Hanbei turned to the pale Ignite again.

"So, what do you think of Aurora so far?" Kanbei blinked, taking another glance at Hanbei, this one considerably less hostile.

"It's bright." he replied dryly, his head tilted downwards slightly. It was Hanbei's turn to sigh, though his was not the weary, frustrated one that Kanbei had, but rather one of expectancy and contentment.

"I guess that's one word for it. Aurora's certainly more relaxing than Ignis. The sky, the air, the plains, the village, the atmosphere itself. It's all so serene." Kanbei scoffed.

"We cannot afford to bask in such." the edges of the shorter tactician's mouth curled upwards.

"And yet here we are." the ghostly tactician next to him closed his eyes and frowned in response.

" _I_ am here against my will." Hanbei's sly grin grey into a full-blown smirk, his purple eyes glancing towards his friend.

"Of cooourse you are. And I'm certain Lord Motonari would agree." Kanbei's frown tightened, the edges of his lips quivering for a split-second, offering no reply or comeback to Hanbei's unabashed sarcasm. Hanbei's gaze turned back from the other tactician to the destination they set out for, finding that they were now at the edge of the small village and its mass of wooden buildings. Upon entering the hamlet, many of the passersby immediately stopped as they saw the frightening visage of Kanbei, knowing him better as the Ignite conqueror from not long ago than one of the newest additions to Aurora's army. Kanbei shrunk under the attention somewhat, while Hanbei just beamed a disarming smile, silently reassuring the villagers they meant no harm. Kanbei gave a swift nod in thanks, something that Hanbei caught in the corner of his eye.

The one in white took a quick look around at his surroundings, taking in the various stalls, houses and business' that lined the street, before noticing a nearby tavern and suddenly deciding he was hungry. He grabbed Kanbei's wrist and veered right, dragging the startled tactician to the side before pushing open the door to the wooden building and waltzing into the establishment. Kanbei wrenched his arm out from his friend's surprisingly tight grip, shaking his hand like it had just been dipped in a bucket of hot lava, while Hanbei looked around the packed room for an empty table. He spotted one such, and after carefully maneuvering through the crowds, managed to get to it before it was occupied. Hanbei slumped down in one of the wooden chairs, quickly grabbing one of the menus that was one the table and scanning the list, while Kanbei slowly lowered himself into his seat, inwardly bemoaning Hanbei's choice.

The establishment was filled with customers, their idle chatter blending together into a loud, grating racket that drowned out everything else. People moved about, and the scents of various foods and dishes filled the air, making the atmosphere of the eatery bristle with life and activity, and leaving a very uncomfortable Kanbei in the midst of it. Hanbei looked up from his menu, taking a quick glance at the clearly unnerved Kanbei.

"Aren't you going to take a look, Kanbei?" the albino across from him quickly shook his head.

"I do not hunger."

"I'm buying." Kanbei shook his head in refusal once more.

"It would be wasteful." Hanbei frowned, clearly letting Kanbei know of his displeasure in one of his rare moments of seriousness, but let the matter drop and returned his gaze to the piece of paper he held in his hands.

"What to get? What to get?" he mumbled to himself, shifting over the various items while Kanbei just continued to sit awkwardly across from him, silently wishing he was back at his considerably more quiet desk. The two probably would have just sat in that same awkward silence for an undetermined amount of time; Hanbei mulling over the menu and waiting for a waiter while Kanbei tried to ignore the various appetizing scents around him, had it not been for a third person walking up to their table and pulling up a nearby, unoccupied, chair.

"Lady Kazumi?" Kanbei questioned, both confused at her presence and somewhat relieved as having an excuse to break the silence.

"What are you doing here?" the other tactician inquired, raising his gaze to meet the Warlord's.

"I was out doing a bit of shopping, stopped to get some lunch, and saw you two." the girl replied.

"Hanbei has offered to pay." the albino stated, a rare, barely noticeable smirk sneaking onto his face. Hanbei's head shot up, throwing Kanbei a glare that failed to accomplish anything, though it was clear he was somewhat shocked with his jest. Kazumi stayed silent, eyes darting between the two as it became painfully clear that she had missed something.

"I thought it was 'wasteful'." Kanbei's smirk subsided.

"Someone must make you act your age every once in a while." Kazumi blinked at his statement before turning to Hanbei.

"Age? How old are you?" Hanbei grew a small smirk on the side of his face that was facing away from the female twin, something that made Kanbei gulp nervously. The ghostly tactician could see a glint in the other tactician's eye that silently ordered him to play along. The deviousness on his countenance quickly evaporated as he turned to face Kazumi, swapping his smirk for a disarming smile.

"Two years older than Kanbei." Kazumi's blue eyes grew as wide as saucers when she heard Hanbei say that, and her head immediately began darting back and fourth between the two tacticians, brown ponytail whipping to the side each time. She examined Kanbei, then Hanbei, unable to completely comprehend that Kanbei, who was taller, far more serious, and could scare practically anyone with a simple scowl, was the younger of the duo. Her mind immediately began searching for an answer to the quandary, managing to formulate two reasons as a result of the revelation within a few seconds. Neither of them were particularly good.

Finally, she rigidly turned her gaze to Kanbei's side, while the older tactician across from him raised an eyebrow in amusement at the situation. "And how old are you?"

The question was asked with obvious hesitation, and Kanbei was just as reluctant to give an answer. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he quickly mulled over his options, and realized that having to play Hanbei's pointless game was his best one. Why didn't his counterpart just give her a straight answer?

"Twenty six years younger than Motonari." Kazumi's hesitation made way to irritation, her thin lips pursing at the response. Her eyes had narrowed, and by this time were aimed at Kanbei, who suddenly felt even more unnerved due to the intensity of her glare. The girl stood up, quickly recollecting herself into a more placid position.

"Very well." she replied, the slight irritation in her tone being drowned out by curiosity. She turned and strode away without another word, though it was clear that she was now going to look for the unwittingly implicated Motonari, and Hanbei just leaned back in his chair with another smile.

"Good thing we didn't ask her how old she was." Kanbei sighed.

It was not long before Kazumi made her way back into the castle, tossing aside the bag she held haphazardly and immediately heading to one of the few places she knew the mossy man would be in his free time. She quickly moved to a storage room that Motonari had converted into a study, due to the fact that one morning he woke up buried up to his neck in encyclopedias. Curiosity dictating her actions, the girl opened the door and peeked her head inside.

"Motonari?"

"Come in." seeing as she was already halfway through the doorway, she simply stepped through and turned to the man who had been hunched over what appeared to be a series of books about Pokémon.

"Would you mind if I asked you a question?" Motonari smiled.

"Not at all."

"How old are you?" the Greenleafer blinked. That was certainly not what he had been expecting. The man put a hand to his chin, and pursed his lips pensively, more befuddled by the reason behind the question rather than the question itself. After contemplating the subject for a few seconds, a metaphorical light bulb went off over the Warlord's head. His gaze rose, and he gave off one of his signature smiles with his reply.

"I believe I am twenty five years older than Lord Tadashi." Kazumi blinked, quickly processing, though failing to completely understand the implications of, what he had just said. The Warlord's eye twitched in irritation, and she quickly left the room and a mildly-amused Motonari, too frustrated to remember one important detail about the mentioned Warlord.

* * *

In one of the many spiraling towers of Dragnor's Castle, the Oda retainers were gathered again for another assessment of the situation. The sudden departure of Nobunaga had disrupted most of their structure and planning, and the generals had been scrambling to hold together both his armies and his conquests, ensuring that whenever their lord deigned to return he would find his realm in the condition he had left it.

"What is the latest report?" Katsuie ordered, gazing down at a map of the region that was adorned with various markers and pieces to represent the multitude of armies and locations. Ieyasu glanced up from one of the many reports that he was juggling, having Ranmaru hold a massive pile of papers that completely covered the boy's face and threatened to eclipse Ieyasu in size.

"On Lord Nobunaga or the opposition?" Katsuie remained stoic.

"Both."

"It would appear to be less than optimal. Lord Nobunaga has been gone for nearly a week and we have received no word as to his whereabouts." Ieyasu shifted his reports, placing one of them back on the stack next to him. Ranmaru winced.

"Hanzo has reported that 'elements' within the coalition army resisting in Cragspur threaten to lash out at any given minute, and the garrison forces we have left within the surrounding kingdoms are spread thin and nearing their breaking point." The Warlord of Valora then strained to place the sheet back on top of the pile Ranmaru was struggling to hold. The additional weight of that single paper caused the page's knees to knock together, his arms threatening to drop and spill their contents, but the metal-clad man next to him quickly reacted and managed to drop the mass of paperwork on the nearby table, causing everything on it to jump. Ranmaru gave a silent thanks after a sigh of relief.

"We could always withdraw a few of our men and lure them out." No suggested, a coy smile gracing her features. Mitsuhide shook his head in disapproval, rearranging the various figures on the map before pointing to them.

"That would break our defensive lines. If anything, our position in the south is precarious, and if we move even a few of our warriors we risk losing it all. Rather; I say we should reinforce our defenses and shore up the main army here in a-"

"That would be irrelevant, Mitsuhide." everyone in the room immediately fell quiet, a few looking around for the source of the familiar voice. The sound of a cumbersome metal echoing off the stone walls made its way into the room through the only doorway, and everyone's gaze immediately snapped to it. Nobunaga made his way through, and at the sight of their lord the gathered Warlords immediately gave a collective bow. He turned to them, barely acknowledging the display, and walked up to the map they had been gathered around. He took a quick gaze at it, seemingly satisfied with its makeup, and turned back to his retainers.

"Assemble all available warriors. We march for Cragspur."


	14. Chapter 14

It was a misty, cool morning off the coast of Ransei's southern peninsula. The sun shone down on the waves, and the slight breeze blew the scent of saltwater across the high seas. It was here that a small group of three ships cut through the waves, their masts high and being propelled by the wind, towards another, noticeably larger, group of wooden constructs that floated towards them at a much more leisurely pace.

The white haired commander of the larger fleet simply chuckled from his viewpoint on the foremost ship's deck, plucking a few strings from the instrument that hung from his neck.

"Greenleaf's army is not what it used to be..." the Dewott standing proudly by his side nodded in agreement, noting that they nearly doubled the opposing fleet in terms of ships. Motochika chuckled, once again shifting his time signature.

"March to my beat." he ordered to the warriors on deck. One of the nearby officers who was overseeing a few warriors making boarding preparations turned to his Warlord.

"But sir; we're on a boat." The Fontainian nodded in agreement, not bothering to turn back to address the other man.

"That we are, Chikayasu." the warrior blinked, unable to decipher his lord's eccentric statement, and just turned back to directing the other warriors as they bustled about the deck of the boat. Motochika wiped a bit of the salty mist from his brow, lifting one of his hands to shield his face from the sun while the other held a note, straining his eyes to see past the gleam of the sea and sun and to the enemy ships. Though it was difficult to discern much else, he could make out a definitive grassy-haired man at the bow of the ship in the center, flanked by two other figures. He didn't need a spyglass to know who they were.

"Motonari is commanding from the ship in the center. Defeating him will cut off the head of the serpent..." Motochika mused, his Dewott drawing it scalchops in anticipation. Finally, the Water Type Warlord turned back to Chikayasu, who was standing at attention, awaiting his command.

"Bring us to starboard with the ship in the middle. Order the rest of the fleet to handle the stragglers." Chikayasu bowed and relayed Motochika's orders to a warrior clutching a few signal flags on the stern. The man in turn gave a nod, picked up one of the colored flags, and began waving it in the direction of the nearby ships. The rest of the fleet, in turn, started to break formation after considerable commotion on their decks, and began parting to both sides. The Fontainian ships lowered their masts to full length, spurring the buoyant constructs to now cut through the water towards the enemy fleet.

"All hands to battle stations! Prepare to board!" Chikayasu shouted out, spurring the various warriors on the deck to hasten to their positions in preparation.

* * *

"I hope Lord Motonari is okay." Oichi wondered aloud to her companions as they trekked through the marshy mess that surrounded the approach to the river, opting to stay on the solid and relatively dry dirt road that cut through it.

"He'll be fine." Hanbei replied with a certain degree of confidence, stepping over a hollow log that was in his path. "Besides, I think we have our work cut out for ourselves."

The six other warriors who consisted of their group immediately looked in the direction where Hanbei was pointing, and were taken aback by the sight that laid before them. The recent storms that had raged frequently for the past week had not only raised the amount water of water in the river to a dangerous level, drenching the riverbed and the edges of the manmade trenches and incorporating it into the waterway, but had also completely drowned out the flood gates that regulated the water level, and, based on the eroded wooden pillars still sticking out from the trench and the nearby washed-up debris, had also destroyed the singular bridge in the vicinity. Tadashi stopped dead in his tracks, turning to the two tacticians of the group.

"What are going to do? The next bridge is about an hour's trek upstream, and even then there's no guarantee that it's still intact." the Auroran questioned. Hanbei sighed, putting a sleeve-covered arm behind his head.

"Well, it's not like we have any materials to repair the bridge or to make a new one..." Kazumi nodded.

"And I'm pretty sure none of us are architects." Her gaze shifted over to the duo trying to think of something, before that dilemma was solved by eyeing the ghostly tactician's partner.

"What about your Lampent, Kanbei? Can't it take us over to the other side?" Kanbei shook his head in the negative.

"Perhaps, Lady Kazumi, it could handle those three individually under the necessary duress," he replied, gesturing to Mitsunari's trio. "But it would not be able to support our weight."

The female twin blinked, having sensed a perfect opportunity to get back at the albino for sending her on a wild Swanna chase a few days prior. In a perhaps overly dramatic manner she crossed her arms, frowned slightly and raised an eyebrow.

"So you're saying I'm fat?" the immediate reaction from Kanbei, which edged between shock and mortification, mixed with a series of garbled replies, was enough to dissolve the façade she had built up into a fitful series of laughter. Hanbei joined in, apparently finding Kanbei's reaction hilarious too, Tadashi chuckled lightly, and the younger tactician immediately stopped the moment he realized what had just happened.

"I cannot believe I fell for such a jest..." he muttered sullenly. Hanbei's laughter began to die down at his comment, and the smaller tactician turned to face him.

"Yeah, you really did walk right into that one." Kanbei shot the genius a murderous look that managed to completely silence him, before turning back to the bloated river. He gazed over it again, looking for anything they could possibly use that had been overlooked, and that was when Kanbei's dark eyes fell upon the flood gates and noticed they were still closed.

"If we were to open the gates..." he began, now having shifted his focus to looking for said means. Hanbei picked up where the albino droned off, though looked around for some mechanism himself.

"Of course! We could lower the water level and wade over."

"If we can even find a way to drain the river to begin with." Mitsunari pointed out, arms crossed. The male Warlord nodded in agreement, turning to the riverbed as well.

"He's right. We'll have a better chance of finding something to control the floodgates if we split up." Without any further ado, Tadashi took a step forward, off the dirt road and towards the edge of the river, and promptly sank into the marshy ground. He wrested his once-spotless boot out from the muck, causing his Eevee to jump slightly from its perch on his shoulder plate, shaking his foot in disgust, before placing it back down on what he was sure was more solid ground. When it failed to give out, the Auroran took another step forward, only for the process to repeat itself. Tadashi carried on like that for the rest of his search while his companions spread out, his movements sluggish as the bog hindered any flexibility, and the fact that his armor only weighed him down even more forced him to strain with every step forward. After reaching the edge of the river some distance away from the road, near one of the obstructions that was nearly submerged, he took a quick look around to find anything that could be used as a means of opening it.

That was quickly found in the form of a lever that sat inconspicuously near the gate. Tadashi trudged over to pull it, but the swamp refused to make anything easy for him. After sinking into the ground for the umpteenth time, the teen grunted in frustration and wrested his leg out of the bog as he took another step forward, only trip and fall face first on the lever and snap it in half, the Pokémon on his shoulder managing to jump to safety before quickly running back to its partner's side. The warrior immediately pushed himself back up and clutched his forehead in pain, already knowing that a bruise was beginning to form, and the normal type shot him a concerned look before fetching the end of the lever for him. With his free hand, he grabbed the remains the wooden stick, muttered a silent thanks to his Eevee, and attempted to stand back upright, only for a shooting pain in his right leg to put a stop to any of those plans.

This time he stifled a pained moan, immediately suspecting he had pulled something in his attempt to free his leg from the marsh, and once again forced himself upright. The battered Warlord staggered back the way he came, wincing in pain every few steps as his leg disagreed with his movement, his partner respectfully deciding to wade through the marsh rather than climb back on him. Tadashi ignored the pain the best he could, until he came back to the road where the others had already gathered and were currently discussing one thing or another. Kazumi turned around at hearing his heavy footsteps.

"Brother, you're- what happened to you!?" Tadashi wasn't sure whether or not his twin was referring to his limp, the large purple mark on his forehead, the fact that his entire front was caked in mud, or that he was holding a wooden stick like a weapon. He shrugged casually, waving off his pitiable appearance, though made a mental note to take a bath later.

"I just got into a fight with the only thing capable of opening the gates." he replied, holding up the broken lever for all to see clearly.

"Looks like it won..." Mitsunari quipped under his breath.

"Now what?" Kanbei stepped forward at the question.

"There is an alternative." Hanbei sighed in discomfort at Kanbei bringing up the method he would have more appropriately termed 'last resort'.

"And what would that be?" before the pale youth could answer Kazumi's question, Hanbei interjected.

"Not pretty."

Considering that Kanbei had lined himself, Hanbei, and herself all near the edge of the river, the only warriors whose Pokémon knew special attacks, close to the flood gate, Kazumi could deduce rather quickly that 'Not Pretty' apparently involved destroying the dam altogether. Kanbei lowered his covered arm, his gauntlet pointing accusatorily at the mechanism, the cue to attack.

"Eviscerate it with Fire Spin, Lampent." Hanbei sighed at the drastic action, but quickly followed suit.

"Electro Ball, Pikachu." Kazumi made a mental note to talk with Naoshige about repairing the flood gate once everything was finished.

"Shadow Ball!" The three attacks shot forward from the edge, the Electric Type attack reaching its target first and, in addition to colliding with the submerged wood, sent water flying everywhere. The pillar of twisting fire followed quickly, shooting up and burning the damp wood, though not causing any significant damage due to the surrounding water, managed to make the material brittle under the assault before being extinguished. The final attack collided with the eroded wood, resulting in a small hole in the epicenter of the attack, which water from the overflowed river quickly flooded through, and a series of fractures and splinters in the surrounding area. The trio watched with bated breaths, as, under the pressure of the water, the cracks began to spread and the gap grew larger until the entire gateway crumbled under the assault of the water, sending a torrent downstream and reducing the depth of the river to only a few feet.

Lifting up the hem his robe like it was some kind of skirt, Kanbei jumped into the riverbed, his Lampent floating higher than usual to avoid the inevitable splash of water, followed quickly by the other two Warlords. The rest of the Aurora Army followed with their Pokémon, wading through the pool of water that remained between them and the other side. Tadashi, splashing a bit of the water on his black and white clothing in a futile attempt to wash the mud away, could make out the shape of Fontaine's namesake city in the distance. Though it looked to be so far away, it was enticingly close in his eyes, and with a renewed determination at seeing his goal, the Auroran charged forward, cutting through the water and dirt and climbing out of the drained waterway. Anticipation spurred him forward, and the only thing that kept him from racing off to his destination was his leg complaining at the exertion.

* * *

"Father!" Takakage exclaimed, drawing away the older Greenleafer's attention from the raging battle for a moment. "One of our ships has been forced to retreat!"

Motonari risked a seconds glance away from the three-on-one battle his Servine was engaged in, noticing that the ship on the left flank, having previously been engaged by two of Fontaine's own, was currently sailing away from the oceanic battlefield, the victors having boarded their ships and repositioned them to engage theirs. Though the man maintained his placid composure, he inwardly grimaced. Type advantage or not, they were outnumbered, something that the strategist was accustomed to, albeit he had the fortune of only having to battle one ship, but they were also surrounded and divided. He brushed aside the assessment for now with a shake of the head. Optimism, or hope at its most desperate, had been one of his most consistent and powerful allies, and he had no intent on abandoning it now.

"Leaf Tornado, but be mindful of the sails." the Grass Type Pokémon conjured up another spinning wall of leaves, tearing through the water-based offensive that the opposing Pokémon had unleashed upon it, and reducing it to nothing more than a few misty droplets and a mass of wet leaves. Not lacking bravery in the face of such an adversary, the triumvirate of opposing warriors ordered their Pokémon; a Wooper, Piplup and Spheal, to unleash another barrage of ranged attacks. Each Pokémon readied themselves to unleash it, and that was when Motonari saw his opportunity.

"I believe it is time to attack with Leaf Blade." Servine lunged forward, tucking in its leaf shaped tail, and with a speed that outmatched any of its opponents, slammed into Wooper and sent it flying across the ship. Refusing to let the momentum of the attack subside, it quickly spun around, cutting across Piplup and knocking it into Spheal's Icy Wind, forming a layer of frost on the back of its blue coat, and sparing the Grass Type the super-effective move.

"Quick Attack, and follow up with Absorb!" Takakage had managed to break free from the melee that had engulfed the ship, and his Treecko darted forth at his command, not wasting a second in the aftermath of Servine's counteroffensive. The other Grass Type slammed into the dual type, tackling it to the side before putting its paws across its head, sapping both its energy and will to fight. Motonari gave a nod in thanks to his blond-haired son as his partner finished off Spheal, causing the last of the three warriors to retreat with his unconscious partner, before taking a quick look at the situation.

The crew of his ship were spread out, scattered in small clusters and fighting against other groups of the boarded Fontainian warriors. Though the Greenleaf warriors seemed to have contained the attackers to a few areas of the ship, leaving large areas of it unoccupied and unclaimed, the two incoming box-shaped boats bearing the Water Type Kingdom's standards were about to change that. The middle-aged man took a step to the edge of the ship, his hands clutching the railing in anticipation at the incoming opponents. A sudden torrent of water that shot out from one of the melees behind him and soaked the back of his blue coat caused him to shift his attention back to the battlefield, where said torrent of water had just cleared out a group of his warriors.

"Takakage; gather as many free men as you can and try to hold off the reinforcements."

"Yes, father." his son, reluctantly, left his side in the face of the approaching Warlord to carry out Motonari's command. The Warlord of Greenleaf size up the man; decked in a pell-mell of various blacks and blues, tattooed, his uncut hair hanging loosely around his forehead and neck, and clutching a shamisen, he could very well have been the definition of eccentric. The strategist's assessment ended when the man had finished sauntering the distance between the two, standing only a few feet away from the other warrior.

"Lord Motonari," the Water Type Warlord addressed the older man, a smile beginning to form on his face. "I have to say it was quite brave of you to sail against us. Especially as a diversion."

Motonari himself chuckled at the announcement, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "So you already knew, huh?"

Despite the concession on both sides, from what the mild-mannered man could tell, Motochika had brought out all of Fontaine's army for the battle, which meant that he most likely had only figured out the truth upon engaging them. His suspicions were confirmed when the Warlord of Fontaine readdressed him.

"Suspected. But don't worry; I had already made provisions for Fontaine regardless of the situation. They should be able to weather the tide long enough for me to wash your fleet away." Motonari raised an eyebrow at his statement while the Dewott that had been marching proudly at Motochika's side, paws resting upon the scalchops that clung to its legs, took a step forward.

"You certainly don't lack the confidence needed to do so." The strategist replied, the serpent-like Pokémon resting at his side slowly taking its place at his front.

"If it's the same with you, I think I shall go first." Motochika gave a curt nod in approval. "Very well. Servine; Leech Seed, please."

"Cut it with Razor Shell, counter with Fury Cutter." The familiar, inconspicuous, brown seed was propelled towards Dewott from Servine's side, only for Dewott to draw one of its scalchops, a blade of water emerging from its top, and cut the projectile in half before it could land. The Water Type then drew its other shell, another blade emerging from it, and charged at the opposing Pokémon.

"Block it with Leaf Tornado, it you could."

"Use Water Gun to propel yourself over it!" A whirling blizzard of leaves was kicked up by Servine, dangerously close to the charging Pokémon, who only shot a strong stream of water out of its mouth, which, combined with the momentum from its charge, gave it the necessary propulsion to perform a somersault over the spinning wall, bringing up its two scalchops overhead with the intent of bringing them down on Servine.

"Engage it with Leaf Blade." Servine, not skipping a beat, immediately spun upwards in the fashion of a corkscrew to meet the falling Dewott, bringing up its coiled tail as Dewott brought down its scalchops. The two interlocked for a brief moment, neither managing to land a hit, before gravity interfered. The Water Type landed with its arms outstretched, scalchops still drawn and blades crossed over its midsection. Servine landed gracefully a distance away. Red eyes met black for a moment, before the two charged once more. Dewott brought one of the scalchops up in an arc, only to be blocked by Servine's tail, but the brought down the other overhead. The swift Grass Type pulled off a flip, shifting the weight of its tail from one side to another to block the incoming attack, before propelling itself off Dewott's exposed chest and regaining the distance between the two. Motonari frowned slightly, a hand going to his chin.

It was clear that Dewott had the advantage in melee; the fact that it wielded two blades expertly while Servine only had one, and in a rather unorthodox position at that, meant that it would inevitably gain the upper hand. Combined with the fact that it was using Fury Cutter, a super-effective move that only increased in strength the more times it hit in succession, meant that only one slip-up was necessary for Servine to fall under an onslaught, regardless of its superior speed. He would have to shift his approach.

"Sunny Day." Motochika raised an eyebrow at the command. While it was true that the sudden shift in the weather would weaken Water type attacks, his primary offensive had been making use of Bug Type attacks. What was Motonari planning? Whatever it was, it had just been set into motion. The Sunlight immediately intensified, and reflected off the water, became glaring from all directions. Slightly blinded, and already beginning to sweat from the heat, Motochika could tell that his Dewott was also dazed and beginning to feel the effects of the attack.

"Charge with Fury Cutter!" Dewott charged forward once again, though Motochika could immediately discern that it had to slow down its pace to maintain its precision in the midst of the blinding sunlight. Motonari and Servine, facing away from the glaring light, suffered no such effect, and the Grass Type charged forward to meet Dewott again. The Warlord of Fontaine could immediately tell that the melee was not as decidedly in his favor as the last one. Dewott, even with all of its precision, still had to move at a slower pace to ensure that its attacks would hit and not leave it vulnerable, giving the serpent-like Pokémon it was dueling with more room to maneuver.

"Servine." Motonari's one word caused the Pokémon to falter for a split-second, though it curiously made no new move, but that was all that was required. Dewott's Fury Cutter came down on its side, cutting across the Grass Type and eliciting a pained cry from it, and quickly followed in short succession with two more swipes before knocking it back across the field. Motonari's partner managed to get back to its haunches, though Motochika could tell that the attack had taken a noticeable toll on it. With newfound confidence in his victory, knowing that it would be unable to withstand a second round, he pointed towards the Grass Type and ordered another barrage of Fury Cutters.

"Intercept it with Leaf Tornado, please."

"Jump over it with Water Gun." It was immediately after Motochika had ordered the move that he realized he had just played into the placid strategist's hands. Blinded by the glare of the sun, and weakened by its heat, Dewott unleashed another torrent of water to propel itself over the whirlwind of leaves. But the attack was not as strong as it had been previously, and rather than launch it over the tornado, it simply rocketed itself into the super-effective attack, immediately getting spun around at a rapid pace whilst getting slashed by a barrage of leaves. The attack died down, and Dewott was sent flying back to Motochika's side.

"Let's conclude this with a Leaf Blade, Servine." the Grass Type shot forward as Dewott began rising back to its shaky legs, clutching its two scalchops as it attempted to assume a defensive stance, only for Servine to flick its tail upwards and club Dewott underneath the chin. The Pokémon stumbled back again, and though it tried to stand back up once more to the surprise of the Greenleafers, Motochika intervened.

"I believe the tide has turned against us. Chikayasu!" the warrior in question turned from his battle long enough to let his lord know he was listening. "Finish up here. I must return to Fontaine. Our proxy will not be able to resist forever."

The Warlord of Fontaine and his Dewott slinked off to one of the ships that had just docked with the Greenleaf boat, crossing the plank that had just been lowered adn quickly ordering the warriors that were preparing to board to set a course back to the Kingdom in question. Motonari watched them depart for a second before returning to the battle.

* * *

Upon entering the Water Type Kingdom, the Aurora Army was immediately stuck by the sight of it. Masses of beautiful stone buildings and pieces of architecture lined platforms interconnected by plated bridges inscribed with depictions of the Legendaries or Fontaine's history. A large canal was seemingly the main means of transportation, lined with small ships to ferry people to and from various areas, all overlooked by a large castle on a platform in the middle of the city, accessible to it only by a single bridge or the waterways that sprawled throughout the opulent kingdom. The eight warriors took in the stunning sight with awe, strolling down one of the cobbled roads that made up the edges of the platform.

"Fontaine is certainly bigger than Aurora." Kazumi remarked. Tadashi nodded in agreement as the group continued to proceed towards the castle, though he was more focused on the fact that no one had moved to challenge them yet. Were there no warriors remaining to halt them?

The group of eight crossed a bridge, Masanori leaning over the edge to take a look at the boats below, only for Kiyomasa to pull him back by his collar to keep him from falling over. They crossed over to the opposite side and carried on to the castle, entering what appeared to be some kind of vacated, enclosed plaza that presented itself before the bridge leading to the castle. Most of the group could immediately tell they had just walked into a trap.

"Heya!" Tadashi froze. He knew that voice all too well. Sure enough, a certain cream-wearing Warlord emerged from the other end of the plaza, his Chimchar and a few warriors in tow.

"Hideyoshi!?"

"Yep. That's my name, don't wear it out." he replied with a grin, striding up to the group before stepping back in shock at Tadashi's appearance. "Yeesh; you're a mess. You want a towel or somethin'?" The Auroran Warlord shook his head in the negative, letting out a sigh and decided to drop the comment and focus on the obvious. Hideyoshi meant well.

"What are you doing here?" Hideyoshi shrugged nonchalantly, folding his hands behind his back as he began pacing back and forth, kicking his feet out with each step.

"Well, Motochika scratched my back, so I might as well scratch his." Tadashi blinked, taking note of the fact that Hideyoshi only seemed to have brought his officers with him.

"You know we've defeated you about four or five times now, right? And that was when you brought all your troops." The Monferno-like Warlord stopped pacing and began to laugh, clutching his shirt.

"I think you've misunderstood; we're not here to beat ya, we're just here to stall ya." Tadashi opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of Kanbei slapping his forehead cut him off.

"My lord; you realize that the longer you engage Lord Hideyoshi in conversation, the more his plan works." Hideyoshi chuckled again at Kanbei's statement.

"Always a sharp one, Kanbei. Now that you've seen through my nefarious scheme to waste your time, I guess that means we'll have to cut to the battle." and with that, everyone's Pokémon assumed their positions in front of their partners.

"Koroku, Yukinaga, Teruzumi! Spread out!" Hideyoshi ordered, before charging forward at the two Warlords with his Chimchar. Hanbei and Kanbei moved to the side to deal with Teruzumi and his Pansear, Mitsunari and Masanori steered in the opposite direction to fight Yukinaga and his Audino, which left Oichi dueling with Koroku and Bidoof.

"Start this off with Ember, Chimchar!" The small Fire Type spewed out a series of bullet-like flames at the two Eevees, forcing them to jump from their position to avoid the fire.

"Quick Attack!" both twins ordered. From their positions on the stone floor, the two Normal Types sprang into action, zigzagging with each motion in an attempt to throw off Chimchar and Hideyoshi.

"Ember on the floor!" The Chimp Pokémon unleashed another barrage of flames on the ground where the two Normal Type were about to land, causing both to yelp in pain as their paws came in contact with the onslaught of small flames, forcing both to stop their charge. The two Evolution Pokémon, unable to stop the momentum they built up as easily as the attack, crashed into each other and tumbled across the field in a mess of brown fur.

"Now, Flame Wheel!" The Pokémon immediately charged forward, a wheel of fire enveloping it. The Pokémon raced towards the two Normal Types who were in the process of untangling themselves and crashed into them, sending both Eevees flying. The two managed to get back to their haunches, the damage not too severe, and Hideyoshi ordered another round of Embers.

"Sand Attack, Eevee!" Tadashi's Eevee spun around, quickly raising a smokescreen of dust and dirt that allowed the two to obscure Chimchar's aim.

"Helping Hand!" Kazumi's Eevee ran up to the slightly taller Pokémon of the same species, placing its paw on it side while the Embers tore through the cloud in front of them, missing their figures entirely, but forcing the cloud to disperse.

"Quick Attack and Bite!" Tadashi commanded, spurring his Eevee forwards again, this time alone.

"Stop it with Ember!" Chimchar looked upwards as Eevee used the momentum of its attack to jump, spraying out another barrage of attacks.

"Shadow Ball!" Hideyoshi's attention quickly snapped away from Tadashi's Eevee to Kazumi's as her Pokémon opened its maw and unleashed the Ghost Type attack. Chimchar ceased its onslaught just in time to get caught by the ball of dark energy, which imploded upon slamming into it. Chimchar was knocked back, and Tadashi's Eevee crashed down on it with a Bite. Hideyoshi winced at the sight.

"We can get through this, Chimchar! Fury Swipes!" His partner seemed to share his determination and took a swipe at the Eevee that was still on top of it, only for Eevee to move its head to avoid being raked with Chimchar's paws, before biting down on said hand. Chimchar cried out in pain, and both twins saw an opportunity to finish the battle.

"Now; throw it!" Tadashi commanded. Eevee, still maintaining an iron clamp on Chimchar's hand, climbed off it and threw it into the air by said appendage, where it was then intercepted by a second Shadow Ball, courtesy of Kazumi's Eevee. It fell down to the ground unceremoniously, unconscious before it landed. The former Warlord of Ignis let out a weary sigh, both at the fact that he had been so easily trounced by the teamwork of the Aurora Twins, and the fact that he was the last of his warriors to have been standing. Picking up his unconscious and injured Pokémon in his arms, he gave the two opposing Warlords a nod in approval.

"Well, looks like you got us... again." as soon as he concluded his concession, a chord rang throughout the plaza.

"Yes. But you delayed them long enough." Hideyoshi's head snapped back to the way he came, as did the other combatants, watching as a scruffy looking man emerged from the way Hideyoshi came, followed by a series of notes and warriors.

"I am Motochika Chosokabe, lord of Fontaine. And we shall resist until our voices are heard no more." with that declaration, the battlefield erupted into chaos again. Motochika and his weary Dewott charged forward at the co-Warlords of Aurora.

"Razor Shell. Do it." summoning as much strength as it could muster, the Water Type drew its scalchops once more and charged the two Normal Types.

"Blind it with Sand Attack, Eevee!"

"Follow that with Quick Attack!" Tadashi's Eevee spun around once more, but rather than digging its paws into the ground and shooting up dirt en masse, it applied a certain power to the kicks that it hadn't before in an attempt to launch the vision-obscuring clouds directly at Dewott. The Pokémon managed to dodge the poorly aimed attacks, and quickly raised and brought down one of its scalchops at Kazumi's charging Pokémon.

"Bite!" Tadashi's Eevee lunged at Dewott before it could bring down the second scalchop on its helpless counterpart, forcing the Water Type to instead slash away that attacking Pokémon.

"Get out of there with Shadow Ball!" Kazumi's still pinned Eevee opened its maw and hastily unleashed the close-range attack as Dewott finished batting away Tadashi's Eevee, forcing the Water Type off it. Dewott stumbled back, but used the momentum to its advantage to gain distance between the two normal types. The three Pokémon stood motionless for a moment, each side waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Quick Attack!" once again, the simultaneous command from both Aurorans resulted in their Eevees synchronizing their motions in an attempt to confuse Dewott.

"Hold..." Motochika commanded to his partner. The Pokémon raised its scalchops, crossing them over its midsection in preparation for its partners command. "Now!"

The Water Type brought down the aquatic blades, slamming them against the two Eevees as they made their final lunges. The Evolution Pokémon were sent sprawling backwards across the plaza, coming to a stop not too far away from their partners.

"Reve-"

"Sing!" Motochika's next command was cut off by the Oichi's order to Jigglypuff, who had managed defeat their opponents. Dewott turned, still clutching its scalchops, and immediately began hacking away at the colorful music notes that had been shot its way. That was the only distraction the two Aurorans needed.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Finish this with Quick Attack and Bite!" Dewott sliced the last note in half just in time to do the same to the incoming Ghost Type attack, but in the process left its lower half vulnerable. Eevee shot upwards, colliding with Dewott's stomach, and knocking down the taller Pokémon. It then lunged forward to bite down, but Dewott rolled out of the way and brought down one of its blades on Eevee's back. Eevee cried out in pain, but it was suddenly alleviated when a round, pink sphere slammed into the unsuspecting Water Type with a Rollout, launching it backwards once more and forcing it to let go of its prized shells. Jigglypuff returned to Oichi's side, and Dewott, utterly fatigued from two battles, muttered its name, raised its arm dramatically, and fell unconscious. With the Warlord's Pokémon defeated, having been the last one standing much like Hideyoshi before him, the battle was concluded. Motochika sighed, picked up Dewott's scalchops and the Pokémon itself, before turning back to the trio of Aurorans.

"So, it ends here. What will you do now?" the twins exchanged a brief glance, as if having carrying on an unspoken conversation amongst themselves, before turning back to the defeated Warlord.

"Would you like to join us?" Motochika's forlorn look immediately evaporated at Tadashi's question, instead raising an eyebrow in what could only be described as a weird mixture of shock and amusement.

"Perhaps... You're certainly an intriguing pair. But what strings are attached?" Kazumi shook her head.

"None. You could probably govern Fontaine better than we ever could, and we welcome any allies we can get." the girl's reply elicited a dry chuckle from the Water Type Warlord, who, despite his collected disposition, had been taken off-guard by her reply.

"Very well. You two play your own melody. I respect that." Neither Auroran exactly knew what he meant by that, but they could discern well enough that it was an acceptance.

"My lord, my lady," Oichi began, drawing the attention of the entire plaza to her. "With this, you two have unified all of southern Ransei."

"I guess we have, but it we also had a lot of help. You, Motonari, Takakage, Hanbei, Kanbei, Mitsunari, Kiyomasa, Masanori, Naoshige and the Pokémon. We couldn't have done it alone." Tadashi replied. a wave of calm beginning to wash over the area.

"With that in mind," Motochika spoke up. "I believe celebrations are in order. Though you might want to change into something more... clean."

"I get it..." Tadashi shot back under his breath, but the occasion was simply too happy for him to do anything more than that. The Water Type Warlord turned towards the castle and motioned for them to follow.

* * *

Hours passed by, and the sun had made way for the moon and stars to shine against the dark-blue backdrop of the night sky. Motonari and the rest of the Fontainian forces had returned some time earlier, the outcome of their battle inconsequential in light of the victory. The Aurora Army had cleaned up in preparation for the celebration, and since Hideyoshi had nothing better to do, he decided to hang around as well.

So, in the courtyard of Fontaine's castle, waiting for the last of the fireworks display to be set up, the warriors of the various armies were conversing and relaxing in one of the rarer moments of peace. Oichi found Tadashi, who had changed into fresh clothes graciously provided by Motochika, and Kazumi talking to none other than the Monferno-like Warlord that had served as their most persistent opponent, on the wooden balcony.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Tadashi inwardly blanched at the irony of his own words, still unsure if he should have made the offer to begin with, but both he and his sister decided it would have been best to put the conflict behind them. Hideyoshi smiled graciously, and shook his head in the negative, though not to hard to shake the glass of juice he was holding in one of his hands.

"Nah. It means a lot to me that you two would offer me a place in your army, especially after everything I put ya through, but I have a feelin' there's somethin' else out there for me. I don't know what it is yet, but maybe it can help make my dream come true." Kazumi raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Dream?"

"Yep; I wanna make a world where everyone, not just warriors, can link with Pokémon!" the Aurora twins simultaneously blinked at his proclamation.

"That's... surprisingly noble of you, Hideyoshi." Tadashi replied, having subtly pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Thanks. Anyways, I think I'll go get some more grub, stick around to watch the fireworks and get outta your hair. For now." he said, maintaining his smile before laughing, which the two warlords found themselves unable to resist.

"All right, Monferno. Best of luck to you."

"You too, rival. And congrats." with that, Hideyoshi turned and walked off, surprisingly followed by Kazumi who began asking him about one thing or the other, leaving Tadashi alone. He leaned over the edge of the wooden railing, taking a sip from his own glass while watching everyone interact. It was then that Oichi took a step forward and began mustering all the courage she had. After witnessing how the two treated their defeated opponents thrice, Oichi knew she had found the right warlords.

"My lord?" Tadashi's head shot up at the delicate voice, and turned around to see the auburn haired girl standing behind him.

"Oh, hello Oichi. Enjoying the party?" She gave a quick nod.

"Yes... Um, Lord Tadashi, there's something I need to tell you." Tadashi quirked an eyebrow, clearly concerned about her nervousness, but decided that whatever she had to say was important enough to warrant it.

"What is it?" he noticed she tensed when he asked, but she took a deep breath and, rallying all the courage she had, began to speak.

* * *

Mitsuhide overlooked the assembled column of warriors from his position on the side, no doubt numbering in the hundreds total, and watching them as they treaded south. The massive panoply of purples, blues and blacks were all marching towards the same destination; Cragspur, intent on crushing the last vestiges of resistance to Oda rule in the east.

_"Far to the north of here, Lord Tadashi, there's a Warlord."_

_"Who is he?"_

Why his lord had insisted on attacking tomorrow of all days, regardless of the fact that left them with a great amount of distance to cover in a short span of time and very little left over to prepare, was beyond him. And though the Warlord of Nixtorm berated himself for questioning his lord, he still desired some glimpse of the logic behind it.

_"His name is Nobunaga."_

Regardless of any complaints or doubts, Mitsuhide carried onwards. This looming conflict would be crucial to bringing peace to Ransei.

_"And he will destroy Ransei if not stopped."_

_"What!? Why!?"_

And it was nearing with every step he took. By now they had left Avia behind with the sunset, and by the cover of night were marching through the mountain passes that made up Cragspur's roads. He looked around somewhat anxiously; though his night vision was excellent, and the moon and their torches provided some light, the massive peaks and mountain faces still cast large shadows across everything in the kingdom. It was the perfect place for desperate defender to launch an ambush.

_"He wants to remake Ransei, and is willing to destroy anything in his path. Warriors, armies, even entire Kingdoms."_

His fears, as understandable as they were, seemed to be unfounded. The pass descended into a valley floor, which was presumably where the entrance to Cragspur's Castle was as well.

_"How do you know about this?"_

_"I'm... not originally from Aurora."_

_"I see."_

The army immediately began spreading out across the valley, bringing forth various supplies from the caravan to help strike up camp.

_"If that's the case, Oichi, it sounds like we'll have to stop him. But for now, let's just enjoy the party. I think the fireworks are about to start."_

"Lord Mitsuhide?" the Warlord in blue turned around at hearing his name, immediately making out the figure of Nobunaga's page through the enshrouding darkness.

"Yes, Ranmaru?"

"Lord Nobunaga wishes me to inform you we are to attack first thing tomorrow." Mitsuhide nodded, rubbed his temples, and let out a sigh. There was much work to be done.


	15. Chapter 15

Morning came too quickly for Mitsuhide.

A long night of working to help establish camp and set up its defenses occupied most of the evening for the Warlord, and what little time was left was simply spent turning on his cot. Sleep refused to come to him, to deliver him from the exhaustion and fighting that surrounded him constantly, suspending him into a maddening limbo where he was still conscious on some level, but his body, demanding rest, refused to acknowledge any of his commands. But, in some cruel twist of irony, part of him was also relieved at the lack of relief. The man knew his dreams would have simply been haunted by memories of the flames once again.

Now dawn had broke, and Ranmaru's message from the previous night rang through his head. Still fully dressed in his armor, Mitsuhide stiffly rose off the cot in his tent, bones creaking, and reached for the scabbard that laid by his bedside. After fixing the weapon to his belt, and splashing a bit of water from the canteen on his face to wake up (and ensure he looked halfway presentable), the Warlord turned to the sleeping dual-type that occupied the other half of his small tent. He walked up to the Lapras, which was snoring light, and shook the Pokémon lightly.

"Time to wake up, girl." he whispered, stifling a yawn of his own. The Pokémon's eyes opened, glancing up at its partner before letting out a greeting. Mitsuhide scratched Lapras behind one of its horns, eliciting a contented sigh, before turning towards the flaps of the tent that permitted light to enter. He exited the small enclosure, his Pokémon sliding behind him, and slowly made his way across the now-bustling camp to the goldenrod encampment that sat in the middle of it. Entering the makeshift structure, and maneuvering through one of the cloth passages, Mitsuhide and Lapras found themselves looking across the wooden table to the man who sat at the end of it.

The simple fact that Nobunaga himself was sitting at the end of the makeshift, map-covered table, reinforced the magnitude of this battle to Mitsuhide. The man gave a quick bow, realizing he had been standing absentmindedly at the entrance for a few seconds, having drawn more than a few glances from the other generals, and quickly made his way to his seat. Passing by Nagahide and his Dragonair, Katsuie and his Tyranitar, a still vacant folding stool, the man finally sat down at the end of the table, across from Ieyasu and his Aggron, and in the domineering shadow of the Demon King. What felt like hours of tense silence passed until No and her Mismagius strutted into the camp, followed by a still half-asleep Toshiie and his Scyther, who quickly took the their seats as well. The obsidian-encased man at the end gazed over the assembly lazily, before shifting his weight.

"Everyone is present." he stated, receiving a series of affirmations from the gathered warriors. Nobunaga's dark eyes shifted downwards to the map sprawled out on the table, which was so precise and comprehensive in detail that Mitsuhide for a moment suspected that Ieyasu's ninja doubled as a cartographer.

"Time is of the essence," the Warlord of Dragnor began, immediately bringing Mitsuhide's focus back to the council. "We must crush Cragspur as swiftly as possible if we are to avoid a conflict on both sides."

Mitsuhide blinked at that, aware that his lord was referencing to Shingen and Kenshin's inevitable interference. The task at hand was daunting enough already, but the thought of two of Ransei's most famed Warlords falling down on them in the middle of a battle was less than appealing for him. Perhaps part of that was why his lord had insisted on attacking now?

"Mitsuhide," his name being called out shook the man out of his thoughts. "Ieyasu, No. You three are to take your finest warriors and break through the western ward. Katsuie, Toshiie, Nagahide, Ujisato. You shall take the main body of the army and lay siege to the southern quarter. Permit none to leave, and force their main focus upon it. Once Mitsuhide has broken through, his forces shall fall down upon the defenders, and that is when you must begin your assault in full earnest."

"What shall you do, my Lord?" Nobunaga's gaze turned to Mitsuhide, as if dissecting his question, before returning to the map.

"Nobunaga will attack the northern gate and proceed to the keep. Ujiyasu Hojo is the epicenter of this resistance; crushing him and seizing the inner fortifications will break the spirit of the defenders."

_"So we are all just distractions..."_ Nobunaga stood from his seat, causing Mitsuhide's heart to skip a beat momentarily, fearing that he had accidentally said that aloud.

"You have your orders;" he began, stretching out his encased arm towards the entrance. "There must be no quarter, no hesitation if we are to achieve our goal; rip out their throats. Now go."

The assembled warriors then rose from their seats at the command, turning and quickly leaving the encampment with their partners in tow. Nobunaga watched them exit before Ranmaru, having been seated next to him, looked upwards.

"My lord, wouldn't the inner defenses offer the most resistance?" The Demon King chuckled, gazing up at the stormy, turbulent sky.

"Yes..." he replied, gazing down at his gauntlet. In it was the same purple crystal that Ranmaru had noticed before his lord had taken his unexplained leave. What purpose it served, he did not know, nor was it his place to, but he could tell it certainly was valued by his lord. Nobunaga returned the item to its place within his equally purple coat, and lifted his gaze to the bastion that sat at the top of the mountain.

"Come Hydreigon, Ranmaru. Let us enjoy this battle."

* * *

Mitsuhide stared upwards at the imposing rock walls. In the distance the man could hear the main force of the army; the shouts of their individual commands meshing into one loud cacophony, the clamor of various attacks being exchanged, the pounding of boots as Hojo warriors above rushed to reinforce the besieged walls. But he put it all aside. What mattered was breaching the gate as quickly, and quietly, as possible. But that would be no easy task.

"Lord Mitsuhide." said man turned around at hearing his name, eyeing the red-clad warrior that had called out to him.

"Yes, Toshimitsu?"

"How do you plan on breaching those gates? Even if they're only the outer walls, they look to be reinforced with steel. There's also the matter of those reinforcements passing by." Mitsuhide refocused his attention to the object in question. It was rectangular in shape, made mostly out of metal, and fixed to a wall that protected the narrow and twisting incline, that itself led to the gate guarding the western ward of Cragspur. Despite being a side entrance, it was clearly well protected, and attempting to bash through it or go around it would take too long, and no doubt draw attention.

"Allow us to assist." the two Nixtormites turned at hearing the powerful voice ring out, watching as a metal-clad behemoth of a man approached them, towering over Ieyasu and another crimson-armored warrior that stood proudly next to him.

"What do you propose?" though it was Tadakatsu that had offered their assistance in the matter, Mitsuhide directed his question to Ieyasu. The man smiled, scratched his beard, and turned to the warrior in crimson at his left.

"Simple ferrous metallurgy, Lord Mitsuhide." that was an oxymoron to the blue-clad man, and he suspected Ieyasu realized that. The squat man cleared his throat and began once again.

"Naomasa and his Pignite here can weaken the entryway with a bit of fire, after which you can freeze it. Once that's done, it should be brittle enough that we can literally punch through it." Mitsuhide weighed the proposal, silently grateful for his explanation. While it was true that removing the gate altogether would be the easiest way to get into the castle, far quicker and safer than having to bring up ladders and slowly climb over the massive walls, Ieyasu's proposal ran the risk of accidentally setting them on fire, which would completely destroy any element of surprise they had.

"Very well," he began. "But we must be quick about it."

Ieyasu gave a nod to Naomasa, the warrior quickly repositioning himself underneath the obstruction with his partner. Mitsuhide and his Lapras moved next to him, watching as Naomosa enthusiastically pointed towards the gate.

"Flamethrower, Pignite! Aim to the center!" the Pokémon unleashed a barrage of orange flames at the defense, which responded by immediately beginning to melt in the epicenter of the attack, the area around the impact glowing a subtle orange at the intense heat. Ieyasu watched on in interest, observing the gate deteriorate underneath the pressure, and immediately raised his hand as a signal for Naomasa and Pignite to stop, the Pokémon taking a deep breath before letting out a pained wheeze. Naomasa shot a concerned look to the Pokémon, asking if it could go on, only for the Fire Pig Pokémon to wave off its partner and puff out its chest, flinching as it did so. Ieyasu was more focused on the gate.

"Now, Lord Mitsuhide!"

"Lapras, Ice Beam." The Transport Pokémon next to him opened its maw and unleashed the Ice Type attack on the weakened metal of the gate, covering it with a layer of ice and immediately reversing the effects of the previous attack, preventing the warped metal from solidifying. Tadakatsu and his Metagross then marched forward, and before Mitsuhide could fully register what had happened, both man and Pokémon charged the gate, Tadakatsu smashing through one side with his massive spear and his Metagross the other with a Meteor Mash, sending shards of frozen metal everywhere. His head immediately shot up to the walls above, his long ponytail snapping as a result of the action, hoping that the noise failed to attract any attention. Much to his chagrin, his gaze was met with the surprised look of a lone sentry, who immediately retreated while shouting out panicked exclamations. The man frowned.

"Come, we must hurry!" he commanded, rushing through the gate and up the incline. The other members of his party soon gave chase, but Mitsuhide was more focused on the goal at hand to pay them any heed. Arriving at the second gate without any interruptions, the process was quickly repeated, this time Pignite puffing out smoke as it finished. But rather than nothing more than an empty, metal-riddled space greeting him, he was met with about a dozen or so coalition warriors and their Pokémon, who had been raced to the gate at hearing the warning. He wasted no time in reacting.

"Use Ice Beam once more." The opposing warriors quickly scattered at the frozen ray, allowing for the rest of the Oda Warriors to enter without any trouble. They quickly regrouped, forming a semi-circle around the entrance in an attempt to contain the small group of opposing warriors, quickly joined by more soldiers on their way to hold off the frontal assault. Mitsuhide could only hope his lord's side of the plan was going more smoothly than his.

* * *

"Magoichi!" the mercenary in question turned to his temperamental employer, putting away the cloth he was using to polish his rifle.

"Yeah?" Masamune, from his position at the terrace overlooking the courtyard they were stationed in, was attempting to watch the distant battle.

"Nobunaga's here somewhere..." he began, only to be cut off by the man.

"Really? I would have never guessed." The young warlord shot him a murderous look, but, due to the direness of their situation, decided he could strangle him for his insolence later.

"I want you to find him. If he isn't stopped... take him out." Magoichi gave a curt nod, understanding what the exiled Warlord of Avia was asking him to do. He stood up from his seat, slung the firearm over his shoulder, and quickly scaled one of the walls with his Grovyle in tow. Masamune watched them walk off, balancing on the walls before turning a corner and disappearing from his sight.

* * *

Hydreigon began its descent as it rocketed through the air, skimming the mountain wall to keep as much distance between itself and the castle as it flew around it, carrying the Warlord and his page. As it lowered itself onto the dirt outside the northern gate, the two warriors got off, Nobunaga walking towards the defense without breaking stride while Ranmaru uneasily climbed off the back of the pseudo legendary with his Riolu. He was already a bit nervous at the speed that Hydreigon had been flying at, and undoubtedly flying so close to the ominous, cloud-filled skies had done nothing to assuage those fears. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, the boy absentmindedly wondered if it was going to rain.

"Dragon Pulse..." Hydreigon reared back its head at the command, before unleashing the devastating beam of purple energy on an unsuspecting gateway. Ranmaru shielded his face as the obstruction was blown to bits by the attack, whereas Nobunaga simply marched onwards, Hydriegon close behind. Ranmaru and his Riolu pursued them as the two entered a narrow corridor, finding himself surrounded by stone walls on both sides, leaving only one way available, which was then occupied by a small group of warriors who came to investigate the sudden clamor. At seeing the Warlord of Dragnor, the four or five warriors quickly turned to flee, only for another Dragon Pulse to sweep them off their feet and send them crashing into the battlements.

Nobunaga marched onwards, not even so much blinking at the sight of their mangled bodies or the sounds of their semi-conscious groans, while Ranmaru shot them a sympathetic look. Rounding the corner the, two warriors found themselves facing a set of stairs that ended at the basis of another gate, which served as an entrance to one of the main courtyards. It too fell victim to another one of Hydreigon's brutal assaults, purple energy crashing through wood and metal, sending what little of the entrance that was not obliterated everywhere. The Warlord proceeded onwards into the large, rectangular plaza, where he was met with the few dozen warriors and their partners that were tasked with guarding it. The panoply of warriors immediately rushed towards the man in black, the shouted commands they gave fusing into one loud, unanimous war cry, their partners unleashing a barrage of attacks upon the two intruders. Ranmaru took a cautious step backwards. Nobunaga smirked.

* * *

Mitsuhide let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding in as the last of the Cragspur-Avia warriors fled. The man clad in blue turned back to the other warriors that had been scattered behind him, his large shoulder guards shaking slightly from the speed of the motion. He opened his mouth to give a command, but the words died in his throat at hearing someone else.

"Naughtiness must be punished!" the Nixtormite knew that feminine voice. It did what the frigid temperatures of his home could not, and caused him, and almost everyone else present, to involuntarily shudder. He immediately spun back around towards the castle grounds, looking for the terrifying source of the voice. When he was only met with the riddled remnants of the battlefield, he immediately stepped to the side, looking back towards the devastated entrance of the castle, narrowly avoiding an Air Cutter from the Ninja Warlord's Golbat.

He had no time to wonder how the gold-clad woman and the few warriors behind her had managed to sneak around them, and given the sounds of more boots echoing off in the distance, which were seemingly getting closer with each passing second, the stoic man knew he would need to be swift.

"Ice Beam!" his Lapras, having spun around with him, immediately unleashed the beam of icy energy upon the flying Poision Type. With an acrobatic ability that surprised no one, it deftly avoided the attack, and swooped downwards with its already gaping mouth a little wider.

"Intercept it!" Ieyasu shouted. His Aggron, with a surprising speed, rushed in the path of Golbat's descent, raising a metallic arm as the Flying/Poison Type swooped downwards in an attempt to land on Lapras' long neck, sparing the Ice Type from the Poison Fang. Aggron then threw its arm upwards, tossing Golbat into the air where it was able to recover quickly and dodge an Iron Tail.

"Use Fire Blast on Aggron, Darmanitan!" Mitsuhide's head whipped back, watching as a brunette dressed in red, leading another group of warriors, feistily ordered her Fire Type partner to unleash the powerful move on the unsuspecting Valoran. Before the Nixtormite could order out a Water Pulse to counter it, Ieyasu's ninja materialized behind him and Aggron without any decorum, which would explain why the Steel Type Warlord had made no move to avoid the attack.

"Water Shuriken..." the Greninja next to Hanzo immediately formed the slim Water Type attack between its webbed hands, shooting out the attack rapidly at the approaching wave of fire. The negating attack collided in quick succession, reducing the once massive, star shaped pillar of fire into a few smoldering embers that fell to the ground dejectedly. Kai growled in frustration.

"None shall harm my lord..."

"Tadakatsu! Naomasa! Help Hanzo hold them off! Counter with Iron Head, Aggron!" Ieyasu barked out, his two retainers, the latter's partner having been reduced to using only physical attacks, immediately detaching themselves from the battle to help the engaged ninja, while Aggron smashed its plate-like head into an Arbok that attempted to slither around it, sending the serpentine Pokémon skidding back.

"You too Ittetsu, Bokuzen, Morinari. Me and Mismagius don't want the fun to end just yet." No ordered, a predatory smile growing on her face as the Ghost Type unleased a Shadow Ball at Nene's Golbat. The three warriors quickly gave an affirmative, bowing out of their side of the battle as Mitsuhide's Lapras unleashed an Ice Beam on their opponents, buying the trio enough time to make it over to the secondary battle against Kai's large division.

As the battle raged on around Mitsuhide, forcing him to quickly swap opponents, strategies and attacks as everything seemingly shifted around him in the frantic melee, he caught a glimpse of something glittering in what little sunlight there was out of the corner of his eye. Dismissing it at first, repeating to himself that the battle should be his main focus, when he suddenly had to move to avoid getting hit with a Poison Sting, he managed to observe what caused it; the metal of a musket barrel. The weapon was being carried by a figure dressed in a telltale green coat. The way he slowly walked across the walls, keeping his head turned to observe events occurring in some distant area of the castle that they had not yet breached, and the fact that he had shifted carrying the musket from his shoulder to his hand had told Mitsuhide all he needed to know about the figure.

_"Lord Nobunaga!"_ Mitsuhide spun out of the battlefield, his Lapras giving chase.

"Hidemitsu!" he shouted, gaining the attention of the masked Nixtormite. "Finish up here and carry on!"

And without so much as providing an explanation, the Warlord of Nixtorm bolted off to the nearest stairwell, scaling the imposing walls at a speed that would have made a Rapidash blush, his partner straining to slide up the stairs. Immediately as he finished his ascension, he was beset by two warriors who had been tasked with guarding it. _"I don't have time for this! That sniper could fire any second!"_

"Ice Beam on the floor, Lapras!" the Ice Type had finished its own leg of the climb, and unleashed its signature move at the target its partner had clarified. The stone floor of the wall was immediately covered with a slippery layer of ice, and the two charging warriors and their Pokémon began to flail about at the sudden absence of traction, losing their balance and stopping their charge. Mitsuhide ignored their attempts to stand back up straight and challenge him, simply skating right pass the two, followed by his partner, until he came to the end of the icy patch and resumed his mad dash. Rounding the corner and climbing another long flight of stairs, the Warlord made out the retreating figure of the assassin, who had by this time kneeled down and placed his weapon on one of the battlements. Mitsuhide drew the sword strapped to his side and increased his already frantic pace, quickly closing the distance that separated him from the Avian. The sound of his straw sandals hitting the heavy stone beneath him drew the mercenary's attention away from his unwitting target, turning just in time to see the Ice Type Warlord jump up, blade now raised over his head. He immediately rolled to the side as Mitsuhide brought the sword down, cutting the firearm he was holding in two.

"Honorless scoundrel!" he spat, retracting his arm so he could thrust the weapon forward again.

"Whoa!" Magoichi exclaimed as he sidestepped the steel that managed to nick his coat, before returning his attention to the infuriated Warlord.

"Hey man, I'm not the one who's running around burning down entire Kingdoms!" his defense only seemed to enrage Mitsuhide even more, as he retracted his arm and swung sideways, this time aiming for the neck. The Warlord's attack was stopped in its tracks by the timely intervention of Magoichi's partner, who intercepted it with a Leaf Blade, having been too shocked by his sudden and violent arrival to react properly until now. Mtisuhide eyed the Grovyle as it dug in its feet to prevent him from breaking their deadlock, noticing that its stance became sloppy in the process, and he could easily sweep it off its feet. But rather the Warlord shook his head, his rage quickly subsiding in the face of his usual icy stoicism. He withdrew his blade, seamlessly sheathing it after a twirl, and eyed the chopped firearm that had been reduced to being nothing more than two sticks.

"I will not stoop to your level..." given how quietly he announced that, Magoichi was not entirely sure if the man was talking to him, though he was more relieved than anything else. Mitsuhide's head snapped back up, and Magoichi reflexively took a step back.

"Lapras!" the Transport Pokémon behind him let out a cry in affirmation. "Ice Beam!"

* * *

Ranmaru remained speechless as he watched the last of the now terrified Cragspur Warriors and their Pokémon get swept up in a Dark Pulse, launching them across the courtyard and into one of the walls that surrounded it with a sickening thud, having witnessed the Dragon/Dark Type Pokémon obliterate an entire contingent of warriors without so much as blinking. Even after it got hit with the Stone Edge. The boy wondered to himself if his presence was entirely necessary, only to shove such thoughts aside. If his lord willed him to accompany him, then he should do so unquestioningly. Such was his duty.

"Come." the page was snapped out of his reverie by the order, stepping over an unconscious warrior to keep pace with his lord. Nobunaga this time stopped in front of the large, ornamental gates that served as the penultimate buffer to the keep, and the final ward keeping him from his objective. Obviously, its occupants would offer the most resistance.

"Hydreigon..." the Demon King began, the edges of his lip beginning to curl upwards. "Announce our arrival."

The Pokémon chuckled at the command, before opening all three of its mouths. Ranmaru watched on as it unleashed three purple-tinted beams of energy upon the metallic gate, punching a trio of holes through the dense material before adjusting its aim to rend the metal asunder. The strength of the beams tore the steel apart like it was paper, the heat from the attack making the process all the easier, leaving the remnants of the once proud entrance looking like a peeled tuna can. Nobunaga stepped through the entrance, his paralyzing gaze falling on the tense defenders.

"You..." Masamune growled out at the sight of the man, succeeding in drawing most of his attention to himself. The exiled Warlord's good eye narrowed, he took a pronounced step forward, and pointed at the two intruders.

"Braviary! Superpower!" the Pokémon roosting behind him cried out in response, spreading its massive wingspan outwards and taking off towards the Dual Type across the plaza at a stunning pace.

"Stop it." Hydreigon opened the mouths of its two head-arms, extending them outward and managing to clamp down on Braviary's wings as it came within striking distance, the sheer force of the attack still forcing Hydreigon back. The pseudo-legendary grunted as Braviary applied more power into the attack, causing the Warlord of Dragnor to turn his attention from the descending warrior to the deadlock.

"Dark Pulse." Hydreigon opened its maw once more, a small ball of black energy beginning to form, only to be knocked off balance due to a Dragon Tail to its right side from an interfering Dragonair. The attack forced Hydreigon to release one of Braviary's wings, letting the Flying Type push through its defense, slamming into its neck and knocking the Dual Type down. Nobunaga raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Well done, Kojuro!" Masamune exclaimed to the warrior who had intervened. "We'll get through this yet. Brave bird!"

The bespectacled retainer gave a nod in agreement. "Pin Hydreigon with Dragon Tail." Ranmaru frowned, taking a step forward.

"Stop Dragonair with Force Palm, Riolu!" The blue Pokémon next to him dashed forward, black paw extended outwards, and slammed into the slithering Dragon Type, knocking it away from the downed pseudo-legendary. Building off its previous momentum, Braviary had begun to ascend, before twirling around to redirect itself back towards the castle, and proceeded to rocket back downwards with the intent of dive-bombing the Dual Type. Hydreigon let out a growl in pain and rage at the development, before its purple eyes snapped back open, quickly narrowing into slits. The Brutal Pokémon let out a howl in anger, shooting back up and immediately unleashing a trio of Dragon Pulses at the charging Flying Type. Unflinching, the Braviary continued its downwards spiral, confident its momentum would be able to cut through the massive beam of energy, only to be sorely disappointed as the sheer might of the attack immediately destroyed whatever hopes it had by enveloping it, before launching it backwards. The Flying Type landed some feet away in a crumpled mess, but quickly attempted to get back up, only to be hit with another rage-fuelled Dragon Pulse that sent it even further back. Masamune grimaced.

"Attack!" he shouted, causing the nearby warriors who had been abstaining from the fight to charge into the battle, before turning to his partner. "Roost, Braviary."

The Flying Type shrunk back to his side, wings folded against its body and eyes closed, while the battle began in full earnest. Despite the superior speed of the Flying Type Pokémon that his warriors had, enabling them to avoid Hydriegon's never ending barrage of attacks much easier that the Rock Type warriors of Cragspur, it was only inevitable that the Pokémon would begin to grow weary after ceaselessly avoiding a relentless assault while dishing out attacks that seemingly did nothing to their target. Finally, the inevitable happened, and a Dragon Pulse connected with a Staravia who failed to get out of the way in time, and everything else fell into place like clockwork. The injured Flying Type plummeted down to the ground, lacking the resilience that Rock Types had, snagging the wingspan of a Golbat in the process, which kept it from escaping the Dragon Pulse as well. A Drifblim and Emolga attempted to capitalize on the momentary distraction and sneak up on Hydreigon with a Shadow Ball and Electro Ball, only for the Brutal Pokémon to simply point one of its head-arms in their direction and unleash a Dark Pulse, opting to focus on a charging Gyrados. The two other Flying Types were launched back by the attack, and as the Atrocious Pokémon was within striking range of Hydreigon, preparing to unleash an Aqua Tail on the pseudo legendary, the Dark/Dragon Type simply swung its spare appendage outwards and struck Gyrados across the face, swatting the massive Pokémon away like it was a ball of paper.

Dragonair, having managed to push Riolu back, charged the unrelenting Pokémon with another Dragon Tail, only this time for Hydreigon to merely float to the side of the overhead attack. When the serpentine Dragon Type twisted itself to swing around and slam another attack at the pseudo legendary, Hydreigon merely bit down on its blue tail as Dragonair brought it up. It then spun around, dragging the pained Pokémon with it by the tail, before tossing it at the now recovered Gyrados. The two Pokémon collided, and were pushed back by another Dragon Pulse from the Brutal Pokémon. Braviary's eyes shot open as it finished recovering, extending its wings and taking to the skies once more. Hydreigon heard the noise, and turned to the last combatant, before cackling at the futile display of defiance. Masamune felt a shiver run down his spine.

After a few excruciatingly long seconds of mustering his courage, he pointed towards his opponents and managed to stutter out a singular command. "Superpower!"

The Pokémon, even in the midst of its own doubts, still charged forward at the Dual Type. Nobunaga scoffed.

"Pathetic. Finish this, Hydreigon." the Pokémon replied with an eager affirmative before unleashing another combined Dragon Pulse upon the valiant defender, enveloping the Pokémon in the massive beam before completely consuming it and continuing onwards. Masamune's good eye widened in horror as the beam neared him, and he merely crossed his arms to protect his head before the energy engulfed him too. Once the attack died down, Braviary was a mangled mess, unconscious, having landed a good distance away, and Masamune was slumped against the stone wall of the inner ward, the oversized crescent of his helmet embedded in the ground a few feet away, the piece of armor having been knocked off his head in the blast. Nobunaga and Ranmaru took a step forward in the direction of the narrow passage that led to the keep, only for a pained groan from the defeated brunette to ring out. To Ranmaru's amazement, Hydreigon's shock, and Nobunaga's mild interest, the scruffy haired Avian managed to will himself to stand back up and saunter back to his position in front of the gate.

"It ends here..." he choked out through ragged breaths, his teeth bared, before taking a deep breath. "NOW, MAGOICHI!"

Nothing happened.

Ranmaru, who had been frantically looking around the plaza for any disturbance, turned back to the Warlord. Hydreigon scratched the back of its head, debating whether it should just unleash another Dragon Pulse at the teen. The Warlord of Dragnor looked away disinterestedly, rather turning to the battle raging below, observing his army beginning their assault in full earnest, and a splash of various reds and whites against the grey mountains in the distance. Masamune growled in frustration.

"Imbecile! Fine! I'll just do it myself." his gloved hands brushed away the sides of his green tailcoat, revealing two dueling pistols that hung inconspicuously from his belt. His hand went to them, quickly unclipping them from their place at his side and twirling them upwards, aiming them at the conqueror across from him. Hydreigon growled protectively before opening its mouth to unleash an attack on the desperate defender, only for Nobunaga to place his arm across the Pokémon's line of fire, having refocused his attention to the Warlord.

"This is for Avia..." Masamune muttered darkly. Nobunaga raised an eyebrow in what appeared to be curiosity. "Now eat lead!"

The crack of gunfire rang out.

The impact forced Nobunaga to step back.

A tense silence fell over the area.

Nobunaga eyed the two bullets that had harmlessly bounced off his armor for what felt like minutes to the Avian, before slowly raising his gaze to meet Masamune's now terrified visage. The conqueror took a step forward, and, in a display that managed to even unnerve his Hydreigon, he began to clap. Every heavy step that echoed off the walls was accompanied by the sound of a metallic clap, the Warlord slowly closing the distance between himself and Masamune, and somewhere along the line he began to let out a hollow, mirthless laugh at the boy's attempt to kill him. Masamune's felt his blood run cold, his body completely unresponsive over the display, and his pistols slowly begin to slip out of his hands, clattering to the ground as Nobunaga stood only a few inches away, flanked by a nervous Ranmaru and his Hydreigon.

"How... amusing." the conqueror commented, ruffling Masamune's mess of brown hair like a proud parent, before letting out another laugh and carrying on towards the keep as if nothing happened. The exiled Warlord managed to stiffly turn around to face the departing figures, his entire body now shaking uncontrollably, and somehow stuttered out a final question.

"What- What are you?"

"Dead." the Demon King stopped his march at the sound of the gravelly voice. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he saw that Kotaro and his ninjas had chosen this moment to intervene in his march. His dark eyes narrowed in annoyance; he could not afford to waste the time on the ninja.

"Ranmaru. Hydreigon. Deal with them." Nobunaga carried onwards after giving the command, while his Hydreigon gave a bow, crossing a head-arm over its midsection before turning back to the Yakshan with a predatory grin. After some time ascending the narrow pathway, the massive gates to the keep were the final obstacle in his path. Retrieving the Warrior Crystal from the inside of his coat, he held it upwards towards the storm-filled sky.

"Now, Zekrom!"

* * *

"Ujimasa! What's the situation?" the Cragspur warrior lowered his spyglass and turned back to the Warlord, who was busy taking a sip from a nearby glass.

"It looks like things are about to turn around, father. The Oda have started to scale the walls, and a few of them managed to sneak in through the sally port, but Shingen and Kenshin are almost here!"

"About time..." Ujiyasu grumbled, taking another swig from his cup. "I sent that messenger hours ago. What took them so long?"

The veteran warlord shrugged to himself, putting down the glass of sake and leaning back against the base of his Gigalith. "Eh. Doesn't matter now... We just need to hold out a little longer and then we can sally out." The Warlord reached for his cup, lifting it to his lips only to be met with nothing. Ujmasa noticed that and reached for a nearby bottle sitting atop one of the various rocks that adorned the castle courtyard.

"More liquid courage, father?" he asked sardonically, tossing the battle to the Rock Type Warlord. Ujiyasu caught it without even looking, popping the cork and pouring the contents of the bottle into his glass.

"Son; I've been in enough wars to know that even a bit of booze can turn the tide of a battle."

"Uh huh." Ujiyasu rolled his eyes at the sarcasm, but refocused his attention to the reinforced, imposing gates across from him. The clamor in the plaza below had spurred him to send Kotaro to investigate, and when he failed to return, the Warlord already knew the cause of the interruption. But he was confident the inner gates could hold out long enough against even Nobunaga's Hydreigon. The grizzled man lifted the cup to his lips once again, only for a sudden clap of thunder and streak of lightning to redirect his attention to the dark skies. They had been overcast ever since the Oda arrived, despite the clear skies the day prior, but failed to do anything other than loom over the battlefield. Would it finally start to rain?

As if to answer the man's thought, another streak of blue lightning rang out across the sky, followed in rapid succession by more. Thunderstorms were not an uncommon occurrence in the mountain Kingdom, so Ujiyasu was not overtly concerned by the sudden development, but when a massive bolt of lightning, seemingly bulbous around the center, shot down from the dark sky and crushed the gatehouse, the man and everyone else in the courtyard scrambled to their feet. As the smoldering embers began to die down, a massive, hulking shadow began to form in the aftermath of the unexplained catastrophe, concealed by the flames and the crushed remnants of the defense, before it began to move forward. Every heavy step the black gargantuan took seemingly shook the very earth the castle was built into, and Ujiyasu took a step back in both awe and shock at the sight of the Pokémon when it finally emerged from the carnage. When the Demon King stepped out from behind its shadow, Ujiyasu's countenance hardened, and his instincts kicked in.

"Gigalith! Rock Polish!" Ujimasa ran to his father's side, while the giant Rock Type Pokémon behind the Warlord developed a blinding sheen.

"Armaldo, X-Scissor!" the Dual Type behind him rushed forward, large, scythe like claws already crossed in preparation to attack the Legendary.

"Dragon Claw." the Deep Black Pokémon brought up one of its massive arms, slamming it down on the Rock/Bug Type before it could even get within striking distance, rocketing the now-unconscious Pokémon across the courtyard. Ujiyasu grimaced.

"Show them were not just going to lie down dead! Stone Edge!" The Rock Type behind him reared up its front legs, before slamming them down on the courtyard floor. Immediately a series of jagged stones shot out of the ground, increasing in size and magnitude until it collided with Zekrom, smashing into the Pokémon's jawline and forcing it back. The fact that Gigalith was able to land a hit seemed to inspire courage in the other warriors in the face of such an imposing Pokémon, and they immediately began ordering off attacks to their partners.

"Rock Slide, Pupitar!"

"Use Bulldoze, Rhydon!"

"Boldore! Use Rock Throw!"

"Charge it with Iron Head, Lairon!" Ujiyasu smiled slightly at the display, before turning back to his Gigalith.

"Use Rock Polish again, follow up with Iron Defense. We can't overpower that thing alone." The stony Pokémon nodded in agreement, before covering itself with the same sheen as before.

"Brush them aside with Outrage." Zekrom let out a ear-splitting roar, immediately beginning to thrash about. The incoming boulders were ignored altogether, harmlessly crashing against the back of the Legendary as it swiped Lairon aside before bringing a fist down on the Rhydon, sending it flying across the courtyard and into Pupitar. Lairon, who had survived the merciless assault due to its ability, charged once more, only for Zekrom to effortlessly slam it into the ground below. Boldore summoned another series of rocks and began hurling them at the towering Dragon/Electric Legendary, only for the Pokémon to effortlessly swat the attacks aside as it marched over to the final straggler, picking up the now petrified Rock Type and tossing it across the field.

"Sandstorm!" Nobuanga's attention shifted back to the Warlord of Cragspur, but was immediately forced to cover his eyes as the courtyard was enveloped in a raging sandstorm, obscuring his vision of the final straggler.

"Hold. Break the attack with Dragon Claw." Zekrom, despite the noise of the raging sandstorm, gave a nod in the affirmative.

"Use Stone Edge!" rather than come from the front, where Zekrom was preparing to strike, the mass of jagged rocks shot up from the left, slamming into the Legendary and forcing it to the side, deeper into the sandstorm. Nobunaga frowned.

"Crush it. Bolt Strike." Zekrom, radiating with electricity, shot out of the tempest and crossed the courtyard to where the attack originated from.

"Dodge it and counter!" with a speed that seemingly defied its sedentary type, Gigalith managed to jump out of the way of Zekrom's assault, before slamming its front limbs down once more. Zekrom was not slack on the counter, swiping aside the foremost stone before charging through the pillars with another Bolt Strike, slamming into the Rock Type. The Compressed Pokémon stumbled back, before shaking off the overpowering attack and unleashing another Stone Edge upon the Legendary as the sandstorm died down. The stones slammed into Zekrom's midsection, eliciting a pained grunt from the Deep Black Pokémon, before the turbine that served as its tail crackled to life with blue electricity, and it charged the Rock Type with its signature move once more. Ujiyasu watched on in a combination of horror and anger as the Legendary crashed into his partner, this time sending the Pokémon spiraling into the keep behind him. Zekrom stomped back over to Nobunaga, the latter eyeing the destruction disinterestedly.

"I'm not givin' up this castle that easily!" clutching his cane, he took a step forward before charging the Demon King. He might have lost, but every second he could delay Nobunaga would bring Kenshin and Shingen closer.

"Is that so?" came Nobunaga's disinterested reply. Bringing up his cane like a club, Ujiyasu swung it towards the Warlord's head with all his might. Nobunaga simply raised a gauntleted arm, stopping the attack dead in its tracks. Before Ujiyasu could react, Nobunaga's hand wrapped around the cane. Pulling it and its owner downwards, he brought a fist up to Ujiyasu's sternum. A sickening crack reverberated throughout the courtyard, and the Warlord wheezed in pain as the breath quickly escaped his lungs. Nobunaga threw the man aside without a second thought, and slowly strode up to the center of the courtyard, eyeing the towering keep.

"Zekrom... Make our victory known."

* * *

Magoichi grunted at the sight of his Grovyle's knees buckling underneath it as the battle came to its conclusion. The Grass Type fell over, unconscious, and Magoichi immediately ran to aid his downed partner. Slinging one of it's claws over his shoulder, he hoisted the Pokémon back up with little difficulty before straining to raise his gaze to meet Mitsuhide's.

"What did Nobunaga do to get you to follow him so faithfully? What has he done that's so great that it lets you overlook all the destruction he's causing?" Mitsuhide inwardly flinched, entirely unprepared for the question, but maintained his collected demeanor before he offered up an answer.

"We all owe Lord Nobunaga a great debt..." the Warlord suddenly wondered to himself why he even bothered to answer the question. The assassin in front of him was in no position to be asking anything, and he detested thinking back to those dark times. Mitsuhide shook his head, as if chasing away the doubts and memories of days gone by. Regardless, he carried on.

"Lord Nobunaga fights for peace, and all you have done is stand in his path."

"Yeah, well I'm not too keen on finding out what his definition of peace is once there's no one left to stand in his way." Before Mitsuhide could retort, a very loud explosion shook the castle. Both Warlords turned to the source of the clamor and gaped at the sight of a massive black Pokémon encased in blue shooting through the keep, the massive structure beginning to fall in on itself. Magoichi just continued to watch the carnage, whereas Mitsuhide turned back to the battlefield below and saw that every combatant had ceased their fighting to look at the sight, and in many cases the various coalition warriors were beginning to throw up their arms in surrender at the sight.

* * *

"Gods..." Shingen muttered, the grip on his war fan tightening as he saw the keep to Cragspur collapse like a house of cards. "We're too late. Of all the days Nobunaga had to attack, it had to be the one we agreed on..." The Warlord of Terrera looked downwards, a silent disappointment beginning to cross his features. Kenshin, sitting beside him on his own mount, snapped the reins.

"There is still time! If we attack now, we can catch Dragnor off guard and possibly salvage the battle." Shingen shook his head, a putting a hand on Kenshin's shoulder to prevent him from charging off.

"No. If that upstart has taken prisoners, they'll just end up being bartering chips if we attacked. There's nothing we can do to save Ujiyasu now." the Warlord of Illusio scowled at the assessment, while Shingen steered his mounts back around.

"What we can do, however, is carry on the good fight. Nobunaga may have bested Ujiyasu, but against our combined strength even he would defeated." Kenshin sighed, but followed Shingen's actions and turned his Rapidash around as well.

"Indeed, nemesis. If we were to put aside our conflict till this threat passed, then not even the so-called Demon King would dare move against us." the assembled warriors began to part in the center to allow the two Warlords to pass, before regrouping and following them as they began to depart.

* * *

The battle had ended in a mass surrender, as Nobunaga predicted. The mass of coalition warriors had been gathered in the large courtyard of the now ruined keep, forced to watch as the four defeated Warlords were forced to sit in front of Nobunaga, each of their hands having been bound by rope, save Kotaro, who was bound at the arms, knees and ankles by metal chains. Mitsuhide, who had been tasked with ensuring the volatile Warlord tried nothing, was too preoccupied staring at the elephant in the room to do an effective job; the massive, nine foot tall Legendary Pokémon of Ideals standing proudly in one of the corners next to Hydreigon. He had heard the legends surrounding the Pokémon, of course, but to think that his Lord was in possession of it...

"Your valor is to be commended..." every head turned to the conqueror, who had ceased his agonizingly long pacing to face the four defeated Warlords. Taking a step forward, towards a bandaged Ujiyasu, his hand went to the hilt of his sheathed blade. "But we both know you will simply continue to oppose Nobunaga regardless of the outcome."

Ujiyasu looked upwards, eyes narrowed and lips tight in defiance. Nobunaga smirked in response. Mitsuhide felt himself tense up, but he still objected. Whether it was for his sake, his Lord's, or Ujiyasu's, he didn't know, but it was irrelevant at the moment.

"My lord," the Warlord's gaze turned from Ujiyasu's to Mitsuhide's. "I beg of you; please reconsider! Lord Ujiyasu and the others would make a valuable allies-"

Before he could continue his plea, the man in question scoffed. "Eh, get on with it. I've lived a full life." Ujiyasu then closed his eyes, his lips curling into a slight frown. _"'Sides; offing me would do you more harm than good."_

Nobunaga raised an eyebrow at the request. Out of the four Warlords that were now kneeling before him, only one could be considered trustworthy; one was too stubborn to be loyal, one was too ambitious to be content serving him for long, and one relished chaos too much to fight for order. Yet, if Mitsuhide desired to spare them, then that could serve as a lesson to the Ice Type Warlord later.

_"Yes... Even in rebellion they can still serve the greater good..."_ the victor returned his attention to the vanquished.

"So be it." Nobunaga drew his blade.

Any objections Mitsuhide had died in his throat.

The Warlord raised the weapon.

Kai closed her eyes.

Nobunaga brought the sword downwards.

And sliced through the ropes binding Ujiyasu's wrists.

The man's eyes opened in shock, morphing into an expression that was shared by everyone else who had witnessed the act, and he looked up at the Dragon Type Warlord.

"Do you swear to serve Nobunaga?" Ujiyasu growled. The position the Demon King had just forced him into was untenable, per his honor. Why couldn't the man have just cut his neck instead? But, after blinking once more and processing the information; he couldn't claim to know the Conqueror's motives, not that he wanted to, but realized that this was a perfect opportunity to continue the fight against Nobunaga, even if it would have to be a passive one. Slowly, Ujiyasu lowered his head, his voice little more than a muffled whisper.

"I swear..." Nobunaga's gaze fell upon the other three Warlords.

"I swear." Nene affirmed with a bow. Masamune rolled his eye and muttered a few choice words.

"Yeah, I'll swear." The Warlord shifted his gaze to Kotaro, who just stared back with a demented grin.

"I'll play along for now..." satisfied with the acquiescence of the four, Nobunaga turned away from his shell shocked audience and looked towards the still gloomy sky. The most famed bastion in Ransei had crumbled before his might. Now all of eastern Ransei was now under his control.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hanbei? Hanbei?" the tactician in question pried his purple eyes open with a harsh groan at hearing his name, observing the Oichi standing over him, her hand on his forehead as she took a quick glance into his open mouth, the twins by her, and Motonari and Kanbei standing off to the other side of his bed, complete with Pikachu sitting on his stomach, a worried expression across its yellow face. Oichi removed her hand from his forehead, his eyesight lazily following her as she moved down to grasping his rather clammy palms before checking his pulse, and then turning back to the other assembled Warlords.

"He doesn't feel feverish..." she began. "But aside from that, he does have all the symptoms of a stomach bug."

"Dinner did taste rather... unusual last night." despite Kanbei's statement, the hesitation in his voice hinted at some doubts to the authenticity of Hanbei's ailment. Kazumi deadpanned.

"That's just brother's cooking." Tadashi opened his mouth to retort, but Motonari quickly managed to cut him off before an argument could start.

"Well then, regardless; it appears that you will be getting the day off, Hanbei." Hanbei smiled weakly at the comment, his eyes slowly closing shut. Before he could fall back asleep, though, a new voice rang out from beyond the Warlords circling his bed.

"What!? You can't be serious, father; he's clearly faking it!" Oichi turned to Takakage, who had been standing behind Motonari, at his comment.

"He has all the symptoms, and..." she trailed off there, deciding that it would be better to not bring up dinner again. Fortunately for her, Takakage quickly replied before anyone could question what she was about to say.

"Symptoms can be faked! Besides; we can't even verify half of them." Before either Oichi or Tadashi could reply, each for their own reasons, Motonari placed a hand on the shoulder of his indignant son.

"That may be true, Takakage, but Oichi also happens to have quite a bit of experience with matters such as these." though the grassy-haired man's voice was the same sedated, sagacious tone that it usually was, it carried the subtle weight of parental authority that kept Takakage from retorting. Rather, the orange-clad blond simply crossed his arms and let out an indignant sigh, signaling the end to any complaints he had. The Warlords turned and silently filed out of the room shortly after a few soft snores had began to escape the bed-ridden tactician, Motonari closing the door behind him quietly. The man carried on down the hallway, while Takakage stopped and placed his ear against the door to listen for any sign of movement within the room, only for Motonari to stride back and direct his son away from the wooden obstacle.

When Pikachu, who had placed its own pointed, black and yellow ear against the door, heard the two walking away, the Pokémon turned back to the bed and exclaimed its name while giving a thumbs up. Hanbei sat upright in bed at hearing his partner, letting out a yawn and rubbing his eyes before a devious smirk broke out on his face.

"They bought it."

Swinging out of bed, Hanbei waltzed over to the window that sat between his and Kanbei's beds, pulling aside the curtains and letting light flood the dimmed room. His eyes gazed over the clear blue skies, the busy village below, and the peaceful, green landscape in the distance. The tactician let out a slight sigh, folding his arms. "How can I be expected to study on a day like this?"

"Pika?" despite it being a rhetorical question, his partner still found it fitting to offer a rhetorical comment. Hanbei turned around to the electric mouse, who had scampered up to his feet with his white and gold beret in hand.

"Okay, I guess I _can_ be expected to go," he conceded, grabbing the headwear out of the Pokémon's grip before giving it a pat on the head. "But c'mon; since there's been nobody to fight for a few weeks, all I do is study. Sure, Lord Motonari's a great teacher, but I could use a break every now and then."

" _Well, you could've just asked to have the day off,_ " Hanbei raised an eyebrow as the Pokémon's thoughts rang through his head. " _Besides; isn't faking a stomach cramp a bit childish?_ "

The genius gave a non-committal shrug after fixing his hat. "Sure. But so is unifying Ransei." He then strode over to his desk, slumping down in his chair, spinning around in it for a few seconds before opening up the cabinet and pulling out a few metallic parts. He fiddled around with the gears for a few moments, forming them into a small link, while his partner watched on in curiosity.

"Pi?" Hanbei haphazardly tossed the device aside before turning back to the Pokémon, who was curious over his lack of action.

"Well, the day won't be nearly as fun without Kanbei, so I guess we'll have to wait until he comes back. Besides; he needs this break more than I do." Pikachu couldn't argue with that logic, so it merely scampered off and hopped up on Hanbei's unmade bed, curling up into a ball on his pillow before falling asleep. Hanbei leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak threateningly, and he went back to tinkering with the various materials strewn about his desk. It would be an hour or so before the morning lessons finished, so that gave him plenty of time to kill.

* * *

Kanbei pushed open the door to his shared room, taking a step through the doorway and displaying no great amount of surprise at seeing his counterpart seated at his desk, fully clothed, at work on some machination. Hanbei raised an eyebrow, not looking up from the device he was busy constructing, while Kanbei just placed the books and papers he was carrying on his desk, his Lampent floating absentmindedly behind him, before turning back to the other tactician.

"I see that Takakage's fears were not unfounded." Hanbei shrugged, putting aside the bowlike contraption he was working on before spinning around to meet Kanbei.

"Eh, I needed a day off. And so do you." it was Kanbei's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"And what makes you believe I shall just play along?" the smirk that broke out on Hanbei's face cause a strong sense of foreboding to rise within the pale youth. Hanbei hopped out of his chair, his goofy grin refusing to subside as he sauntered over to Kanbei.

"Because, if you don't, I think I might have to tell Lord Motonari about your shrine." Kanbei winced, twirling around as Hanbei made his way over to his desk.

"You're bluffing." the uncharacteristic nervousness in his voice destroyed any amount of confidence he tried to project. The white-clad teen just reached into the cabinet of his counterpart's desk, sliding open a hidden side compartment in it before pulling out a small panel that was adorned with various tactical reports, correspondences, essays on Grass Types, and various sections from military treatises. Kanbei gulped and quickly began stumbling over himself in an attempt to write it off. Hanbei wordlessly closed the compartment, taking the silence and genuinely unnerved expression on Kanbei's pale face to be acquiescence, and motioned for him to follow, which he reluctantly did with no amount of enthusiasm. The moment the duo exited the room, they nearly bumped into Kazumi, who was carrying a tray of baked pastries in her hands.

"What are you doing out of bed?" the way she raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips told the two tacticians that she already knew what was happening. The taller Ignite spared a glance at Hanbei, who seemed completely unperturbed by the development, grabbing a bagel off the tray and taking a small bite out of it.

"I'm taking the day off. Wanna come with?" the other two Warlords present were dumbfounded by his straightforwardness, Kanbei blinking dumbly while Kazumi clumsily tried to formulate a response.

"I'll take that as a yes," he commented, removing the food-filled platter from her hands and placing it back on his desk, grabbing a key off it in the process, before closing and locking the door. "Since you do a lot of the heavy lifting around here anyways, you could probably use a break as bad as Kanbei." the girl finally managed to form a few coherent words, her features hardening as she moved to retort him, only for Hanbei to cut her off again.

"Tadashi can hold the down fort for a few hours, if he'll even notice we're gone to begin with," the teen commented before taking another bite out of his breakfast. "Good bagel, by the way."

With that nonchalant comment, he had turned and began to walk down the hallway like nothing had happened. The female twin sighed, though not in the usually weary tone that she bore when it was directed to her own counterpart. "There's no stopping him once he sets his mind to something..."

Kanbei nodded in agreement. "Yes. And though that is an admirable quality, the problem lies within getting him to apply himself to begin with."

"Speaking of that, why are you of all people going along with this?" the albino's dark eyes narrowed slightly.

"I... have my reasons," he attempted to sound as dire and enigmatic as possible, before looking down at the Auroran. "And I could very much ask you the same."

It was only after he had uttered those words did Kazumi realize the two had been following Hanbei, and she had been too busy conversing to notice. "Well, since you're clearly not doing this of your own free will, someone has to make sure Hanbei doesn't get in trouble."

Kanbei let out a dismissive sigh, and Kazumi looked downwards, pretending to fix the purple sash tied around her waist while muttering an addendum. "And, as much as I hate to say it, a break does sound nice."

The two finally disappeared around a corner, only for Takakage to come from the exact opposite direction that the two had took, eyeing the hallway they had gone down suspiciously as the sound of their boots echoed off the wooden walls. He moved to take a cautious step forward, brushing aside one of the many tails to his coat in the process, only for a much more discernible din coming from behind the blond; his name being called out, to redirect his focus to the passage from where he came.

"Coming, father!"

* * *

"What are we going to do?" it was a simple question, Kazumi mused as she followed the two tacticians as they made their way out of the castle grounds, but despite that, it came as no surprise to her when Kanbei leaned over.

"You shouldn't have asked that." once he had finished whispering those words, as if on cue, Hanbei spun around, arms raised grandly against the backdrop of the open sky and busy village.

"The question isn't 'What are we going to do?'. Rather; the question is what aren't we going to do?"

"Head back into the castle and pretend this never happened?" the purple-eyed genius ignored the laconic albino's deadpan comment, spinning back around and continuing his descent into the village.

"Now, I remember someone mentioning that there was a fair taking place somewhere here..."

"I don't think a fair is the most inconspicuous place to go, Hanbei." the tactician gave a nonchalant shrug at the girl's remark, not breaking pace.

"It's not like I took the day off so I could sneak around town." Kanbei opened his mouth to retort, but the words died in his throat as Hanbei abruptly stopped in his tracks, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Eh... I didn't word that right. But you get the idea. Besides; it'll be fun!"

With that, the trio of Warlords carried onto the namesake village of Aurora, maneuvering through the crowds and wooden buildings until they came upon the once open field that was being used for the festival. Kanbei coughed uncomfortably as they entered the bustling area, something which was not discerned over the din of the crowd, before Hanbei maneuvered them to a particularly crowded area. It appeared to be some sort of open field, and as the tacticians and Auroran forced their way through the mass of people encircling the fence around it, they saw that the source of all the attention was a small group of people, themselves arranged in a circle, kicking a ball back and forth and pulling off a series of increasingly difficult athletic feats in the process.

"Ah, Pokémari." Hanbei commented as he leaned against the wooden railing, Kazumi and Kanbei each walking up to get a better look. Without taking his focus off the game, watching someone suspiciously familiar bow out after dropping the ball, he moved slightly closer to the person who was standing next to him, who happened to be just as caught up in the game as he was.

"Who's winning?"

"The one who's been in the ring the longest." it was only after the other spectator had replied, and rather sarcastically at that, did his voice register in Hanbei's mind. Blinking blankly, his head snapped to the side, only to see Mitsunari staring back up at him with the same confused expression, before it quickly narrowed back into his usual one of annoyance.

"I thought you were sick." Hanbei responded with a smile that betrayed his nervousness.

"I'm just out for a walk, getting some fresh air. The castle's a bit stuffy." the ginger-haired kid beneath him retained his deadpan.

"You forgot the part about the Growlithe eating your homework and the Donphan trampling your science project..." he muttered before addressing the tactician. "That's the best you could do?"

"Well, you kinda put me on the spot there..." he muttered in kind, whatever comeback he had planned getting cut off by Masanori appearing behind Mitsunari, an ecstatic grin spread across his face over the whole situation.

"Hey, Mitsunari! Can I go one more time? Please!" the kid in red sighed, pulling out a slip of paper from inside his sleeveless, black coat before handing it to the other boy.

"Fine; but this is the last time. These tickets aren't cheap." Masanori shouted out an indiscernible thanks before melting back into the crowd. Hanbei raised an eyebrow.

"So where's Kiyomasa?" Mitsunari returned his attention to the tactician above him, before turning back to the rail.

"He's wandered off somewhere, so I have to play idiot's keeper until he gets back." despite the semi-frown etched on the boy's face, his voice bared no particular resentment or anger over the situation, maintaining a strict neutral demeanor that betrayed nothing. Hanbei opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden shout from the field drew his attention.

"Heads up!" as if mistaking the warning for a command, both Hanbei and Kazumi looked back to the field to see the leather ball that had been kicked back and forth rocketing their way. With a surprising amount of dexterity, Hanbei's hand shot out, grabbing the ball out of midair and keeping it from slamming into the face of the girl standing next to him. He dropped-kicked it back into the field, where the game resumed like nothing had happened in the first place.

"Nice save, Hanbei."

"It was nothing," he replied with an enthusiastic smile, before subtly grabbing the hand he caught the ball with.

"I think I broke my thumb, though..." as if to confirm his muttered statement, he bent the digit a few times, stopping when Kanbei cleared his throat.

"I believe that is enough Pokémari for one day." the other two Warlords each gave a swift nod in agreement.

"Why don't we go check out what else the fair has?" the female twin turned from the railing after suggesting such, quickly followed by an unfocused Hanbei and reluctant Kanbei.

* * *

"Takakage... Takakage... Takakage..." the Greenleafer in question was finally shaken out of his thoughts after hearing his name get called for the third time, looking up from the book he had been pretending to read for the past half hour.

"Yes, father?" Motonari raised an eyebrow, hand going to his chin as he frowned slightly.

"Are you feeling well? You've been distant all morning." Takakage blinked, closing and setting aside his book and offering up an unconvincing smile.

"I'm just... wondering where Kanbei is." Motonari's concern refused to fade from his visage.

"I let him finish early today so he could keep an eye on Hanbei. But I don't think that is the only thing burdening you, son. And would I be right in assuming it has something to do with this morning?" a bittersweet smile found its way onto Motonari's face as he asked that question, Takakage letting out a heavy sigh in return, before giving a nod in resignation.

"Perhaps you would like to take the rest of the day off as well?" the aspiring tactician's head shot up at the proposition, wordless eyeing his father with an eagerness that gave away his answer.

"Really?" Motonari chuckled, his concerned expression having gave way for amusement.

"Yes; everyone needs a break now and then, Takakage. I think there's a fair that's going on in Aurora, why don't we go there for a few hours?" as soon as Motonari had said that, his son bolted upright, enthusiastically running out of the door while hastily mentioning he was going to get a few belongings. Motonari just smiled.

* * *

Hanbei stared down at the fan in his hands, twirling it over before unfolding it. It was certainly large, almost comically so, white and red with large, black calligraphy adorning its center. He fanned himself with it for a few seconds, accidentally whacking himself in the nose and nearly knocking off his beret, before refolding it and laying the metallic frame against his open palm.

"I still want that rickshaw..." he muttered, kicking aside a stray pebble in his path as he hit his palm with the fan again.

"Just be glad you won the fan, Hanbei." the taller tactician chided.

"What booth even offers a rickshaw as a prize to begin with?" the Ignite shrugged nonchalantly at her question.

"I don't know, but only if I hadn't run out of tickets..." Kanbei slapped his forehead while Hanbei crossed his arms and pouted dramatically.

"Hanbei; what would you even use a rickshaw for-"

"So I could get someone to ferry me around and save myself the trouble of walking around everywhere?" the black-robed Warlord ignored his reply.

"Let alone where would you even keep it? And you of all people should know that dragging around a large, red rickshaw throughout town would be less than inconspicuous."

With that said, Hanbei began fanning himself once more, and the trio found themselves leaving the fairgrounds. Hanbei immediately noticed that, as they left behind the large, bustling crowds and idle chatter, Kanbei seemed to become less tense than he had been during the time they had been there, though that only translated in his near-perpetual scowl subsiding slightly and his shoulders lowering a miniscule level. As he went about silently thinking of what else to do as they walked down the road, the other two following his lead as they believed he already had a plan, the tactician was met with an answer in the form of his stomach growling.

"Hungry?" he gave a halfhearted nod at the girl's comment, already looking around for an eatery.

"It should be a bit past noon," his eyes fell on a rather ornate building that stood out amongst the maze of plain wooden ones that made up Aurora, graced on the top with a sign in some foreign language he couldn't read, complimented by three gold stars underneath it. "What about that place?"

Kanbei tensed at the thought of entering another crowded establishment while Kazumi turned her head to look in the direction that Hanbei was pointing to, delicate features falling on the establishment. Probing her mind for details, a metaphorical lightbulb went off over her head after a few seconds.

"Oh, that opened up about a week ago. It's called Chez something or another," Kazumi scratched the back of her head with a rather uncharacteristically sheepish smile that seemed out of place on her normally collected countenance, while the two tacticians each raised an eyebrow at her statement, Hanbei snickering quietly as she continued. "Frankly I can't really understand it either, and would probably butcher the pronunciation if I tried, but apparently the food's pretty good."

"All right, I guess we'll eat here. I'm buying." Kanbei muttered something under his breath at that, but Hanbei paid it no heed and the trio passed through the façade of the restaurant, and at seeing one of the Warlords among their group, were quickly seated by the staff. The ambiance was as ornate and delicate-looking as the outside had been, and the atmosphere was light if not a little stuffy, though there were not many people present when they had been seated, something that seemed to make Kanbei relax a bit. They were quickly served and gave off their orders, and in the wait for their meals to arrive Hanbei found it fitting to place his arms on the pristine tablecloth and let out a deep sigh in contemplation.

"What's wrong?" the question came from the Auroran across from him, and Hanbei shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I... don't know..." he muttered hesitantly, those words feeling rather foreign to him. "It just feels like this was too easy."

"What do you mean, Hanbei?" the tactician blinked rather absentmindedly in response to his counterpart's question, before offering another shrug.

"Maybe I'm just a bit on edge. It just feels like we should be battling right now." Kanbei blinked in absolute shock at hearing him say that, silently wondering what had possibly gotten into him that caused him to feel like doing something resembling work, while Kazumi scratched the back of her head in confusion.

"Battling? In a restaurant? Who would do that?"

"I don't know." the tactician in white replied, adopting a goofy grin at the realization of how ridiculous his comment had sounded. "Maybe the employees?"

Kazumi snickered in response. "I know; maybe they could battle the customers while they wait for their food."

Hanbei joined in on the laughter. "Yeah... But wait; there's an arbitrary time limit! We can't have the patrons just enjoy their meals or the battle, now can we?"

"Nope. Might as well snub them if they don't finish it within the amount we specify, too." she managed to say with a straight face before the two resumed their laughter. Kanbei just sighed at the, albeit small, amount of attention their laughter was drawing. They were cut off when their waiter returned with their meals, placing a steaming, and appetizing, steak in front of Hanbei, a fillet of Magikarp on a bed of lettuce in front of Kazumi, and an unassuming bowl of soup in front of Kanbei. Hanbei raised an eyebrow at his counterpart's meal.

_"Leave it to Kanbei to order the blandest and cheapest thing on the menu at the fanciest restaurant in Aurora."_ the tactician mused, holding in a disappointed sigh, before cutting into his meal. The three ate in silence for a few minutes as more patrons began to enter the establishment, before Kanbei put down his spoon and looked across the table to Hanbei. Hanbei noticed this, swallowed, and set aside his own piece of silverware, the two simply staring at each other for a few seconds in an awkward silence, some sort of silent conversation being carried out between the two before the albino broke the silence.

"Why?" given how vague and general Kanbei's question was, it came as no surprise to the female warlord that the genius across from her acted confused.

"Why what?" Kanbei's eyes narrowed; he knew Hanbei was more intelligent than that. The purple-eyed tactician sighed in response, conceding his feigned ignorance.

"Fine, fine; look, I know you don't think so, but everyone needs a break, Kanbei." the tactician shook his head.

"I can just as easily take one at my desk as I can here." Hanbei nodded in agreement, but pursed his lips, his features hardening.

"You can, yes, but you won't. Your desk isn't the world either, Kanbei, and doing paperwork in your spare time hardly qualifies as relaxing. I know you're not fond of having to go out, but I don't want to have to see you suffer a nervous breakdown from all the stress because you won't take a break," the pale youth opened his mouth to retaliate, but Hanbei carried on.

"And don't think I haven't noticed how late you're staying up to get all your self-assigned work done, either," Kanbei closed his mouth begrudgingly, conceding the point to Hanbei.

_"Or that I caught you enjoying yourself at the fair few times, as well."_ he then turned to Kazumi. "And that goes for you too. With all the work you've put into helping Naoshige run Aurora these past few weeks, you probably need this break as much as Kanbei."

She gave a small, bittersweet smile to him in thanks, but Kanbei interrupted again. "But why now, on a Thursday of all days?"

Hanbei shrugged slightly, leaning back in his seat. "Eh, I figured Lord Motonari could also use a bit of a break from teaching the two of us. But the point remains; life moves pretty fast, Kanbei. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

With that said, Hanbei went back to eating his steak, and Kanbei, now pondering Hanbei's comment, picked up his spoon, prepared to dip it into the steaming broth until something caught his attention. His dark eyes widened in shock, half-scowl transforming into a distraught frown, and, despite seeming impossible, his face seemed to loose even more color. In short; he was genuinely unnerved. The two other Warlords noticed this, looking up at him while he just continued to stare on in shock.

"Kanbei, are you feeling okay?" the usually unflappable tactician just ignored the question, muttering something indistinguishable. Not knowing what else to do, Hanbei returned the look with a rather silly one of his own, mouthing gibberish in a hope of snapping Kanbei out of what he assumed was a daze.

"Look behind you..." he finally managed to edge out. Kazumi was the first to oblige, turning her gaze and suddenly freezing up like Kanbei, her blue eyes immediately widening, inciting Hanbei's curiosity. He turned around in his seat, looking at the back of the blue coat of the man sitting at the table behind him, before his eyes moved upwards to notice his grassy hair. Hanbei gulped audibly, his face turning as pale as Kanbei's.

"I have to say, Hanbei," Motonari began, not even turning away from the menu he was holding. "I'm surprised, and somewhat disappointed, that it took you this long to notice us; especially since you usually detect even the most minute detail. I was starting to fear I may actually have needed to interrupt."

"You- You heard?" the tactician in question stuttered out. The mossy man let out a chuckle, turning around to meet Hanbei's gaze and revealing a rather smug Takakage sitting across from him.

"Yes, and I'm rather flattered that you would worry over me as well, though I suppose I had suspected it as part of your reasoning from the beginning." everyone around him blinked in shock.

"Beginning?" Hanbei choked out. "You mean you knew the entire time!?"

Motonari just gave him a disarming smile. "Well, I probably wouldn't be here today if I couldn't detect when someone was lying to me. And, admittedly, this was a nice change of pace."

"So..." Hanbei began cautiously, managing to recollect himself. "Does this mean I'm off the hook?"

Motonari chuckled, his signature smile refusing to budge. "I wouldn't be that good of a teacher, let alone a parent, if I just ignored this, now would I? I still expect a five page essay on the wheel and crane formations by the end of this week."

Hanbei sighed dejectedly. _"And he says that with a smile on his face."_ He looked up when Motonari placed a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"But, for now, why don't we enjoy this time off?" Hanbei quickly sprung back, smiling, while Kanbei deadpanned.

"Congratulations, Hanbei; you somehow managed to get half the army to shirk work."

* * *

The members of the Aurora Army filed back into the namesake, rather bare castle after their meal, the various warriors parting ways after a few words and immediately began to disperse within the castle. Hanbei was beginning to ascend the stairs, fan still in hand, when he heard two more voices rapidly approaching.

"I cannot, and will not, understand how you possibly managed to find a way to set the dunk booth on fire!" he recognized the screaming voice as Mitsunari's, and immediately pieced together the puzzle.

"It was an accident!"

"Accident or not, I had to pay for the damages!" Hanbei sighed, turning back around and stepping between the two kids.

"That's enough," the Ignite commanded, his voice bearing an unusual amount of authority that made the two young warriors go quiet. "Masanori; you know better than to play with fire. Mitsunari; you're not going to solve anything by screaming at him."

Masanori looked downwards, clearly guilty over the whole ordeal, while Mitsunari crossed his arms and titled his head up in indignation, but not saying anything either. Hanbei frowned slightly, taking a glance down at the fan in his hands, before making a spur of the moment decision.

"Here," he said, handing the object to a cautious Mitsunari.

"What's this?" the kid asked, examining the fan as he turned it over in his gloved hands. Hanbei gave a non-committal shrug with a smile.

"A gift. You look like you could use one right now," he replied before turning back towards the stairs. "Now, I have an essay to write."

And with that halfhearted determination, the tactician was gone. Mitsunari continued to examine the fan in his hands, silently mulling over the tacticians words.

"What am I going to use th-" he was cut off when he extended the fan with a bit more force than he anticipated, one of the edges smacking Masanori over the head. The other boy rubbed his head after a pained cry, and Mitsunari raised an eyebrow in interest. This could be very useful.

* * *

Hanbei, hands shoved inside the pockets of his white coat, was leisurely walking down one of the hallways. He turned a corner, glanced down one of the branching paths before carrying onto his destination, before his head snapped back to the path he had just looked down. Backtracking, he cautiously took a step down it, until coming to a halt with a blink.

"You're still here?" he then took another cautious step down the hallway, stealing a quick glance back the way he came before turning back to the other path.

"The chapter's over. Go... leave a review or something." the tactician then quickly went back the way he came, turning a corner and walking out of sight.


	17. Chapter 17

"So... I take it that's what caused you to run off earlier?" Mitsunari remarked, gesturing with his fan to the Dragon Type now cradled in Kiyomasa's arms. The green Pokémon eyed the boy curiously, somewhat unnerved by his massive headdress, while Kiyomasa just smiled brightly.

"Yep! I found this little guy wandering around the fair all alone, scared and confused." Mitsunari just raised an eyebrow, retracting his fan and turning to fully face Kiyomasa.

"And you just picked it up? What if it was someone else's Pokémon? Or dangerous?" Kiyomasa just shrugged, his smile over his newfound partner refusing to fade.

"I could say the same about you and Pawniard," he replied, causing Mitsunari's composure to quickly break down as he moved to retort, only for the silvery-haired kid to carry on. "But that doesn't matter: I've got a partner now!"

His Pokémon cheered along with him, and Mitsunari just closed his mouth before a rare smile crept onto his face at the sight. He quickly opened his fan to keep anyone from noticing, pretending to fan himself with it, but still let out a small chuckle. "I guess you do."

* * *

"Brother?" Kazumi questioned as she entered the makeshift war room that was the dining table. Tadashi had commandeered it, covering it in its entirety with a map of western Ransei and soliciting Motonari to get her. The twin in question looked up at hearing her call him, having been preoccupied with the task of placing various markers across the map like it was some sort of game board, and motioned for her and the grassy haired man to join. Walking up to the table, she took note that both Oichi and Naoshige were there as well, and gazed down at the map, immediately unnerved to find that almost every piece on the cloth was positioned for Violight.

Her visage immediately turned into one of shock, and she quickly looked up, meeting a rather empathetic look from Tadashi. "Brother; you're planning on invading Violight!? You- you can't be serious!"

"I am," he began, letting out a sigh that betrayed his own reservations over the actions. "I know that neither of us wants to go back, and that it would seem like a betrayal of the peace we've worked so hard to get; but if the rumors are true, then we'll need to grow stronger if we're to resist Nobunaga."

She frowned slightly at that; she had of course heard the news about what had happened nearly a month prior. Having the most formidable bastion in all of Ransei literally crumble against the might of someone who now controlled all of eastern Ransei, and supposedly achieved such a feat with the help of a Pokémon of mythic proportions, had sent shockwaves throughout the region, and made for good gossip. But Nobunaga had made no moves since then, and there was no guarantee he would go any further, either, not to mention that invading other kingdoms, no matter how altruistic the motive, was still an invasion. They may have control over the entire southern peninsula now, but only one acquisition had been the result of an aggressive (and ill-planned) action, and even then Motonari was glad to be relieved of his administrative duties. The Kingdoms to the north had shown no interest in expanding, and she had no desire to destroy the peace they worked hard to achieve and bring war to them. Finally, she shook her head, planting her palms down on the map.

"I'm sorry, brother, but I can't condone this." Tadashi let out a sigh at her reply, arms falling to his side.

"I was afraid you would say that," he began, a rare determination creeping into his voice that made his sister raise an eyebrow. "But I won't just sit by and watch everything we've worked for go to waste, either."

Oichi took a step forward and cleared her throat, folding her hands in slight discomfort at the attention she had drawn.

"My lady, I have to agree with Lord Tadashi," her lips then quivered slightly in hesitation at what she was about to say, before taking a quick breath and steeling her resolve. "I've seen what Nobunaga is capable of. We won't be able to resist him with our army as it is, let alone defeat him."

Naoshige also took the chance to chime in. "My lady, the Tachibana-Takahashi are some of the best warriors in Western Ransei. They would make valuable allies in-"

"They are also incredibly stubborn," Kazumi retorted with a bit more emotion than she should have. "And would only agree to an alliance after we've 'proven' ourselves, which is practically the equivalent of just reconquering Violight outright!" Noashige stopped and took a respectful, if not cautious, step back, and the female Warlord exhaled heavily, unclenching her balled fists as she calmed down. Tadashi, who had been watching the scene unfold uneasily, crossed his arms and let out a silent sigh.

"Kazumi," she turned around, recomposed and resolute, to see her brother staring back at her with a similar determination. Their eyes met for a moment, a vibrant, light blue gazing into a dulled, silvery blue, an unspoken argument being carried out for a few moments before the silence was broken. "I know you won't agree... but I won't back down either."

"Fine," her reply was curt, if not bitter and halfhearted. They both knew what was coming next, and neither looked forward to it. "Then we'll settle this with a battle." He gave a silent nod in return, a grim composure having descended over his visage at the thought, and Kazumi turned and quickly left. Once the other co-Warlord had departed, Tadashi lowered his head into his hands, obscuring his face and entangling his fingers in his hair.

* * *

"Hmm..." Yukimura stared at the door to the audience chamber that had been left open by just an inch, eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. To any of the other Takeda retainers, a door that was slightly open would have been outright ignored, if not noticed to begin with. Perhaps the more observant of them would have simply dismissed it as the draft. But the crimson-clad protégé took pride in his diligence, and refused to let such a simple occurrence go unnoticed. He edged closer to the door, and on a gut instinct, one that had been refined by countless past experiences, looked up.

Sure enough, being precariously balanced on the door frame and the top of the door itself, was an unassuming bucket.

Yukimura frowned. While he already knew who the culprit was, the problem remained in both finding her, and finding a way to remove the trap without triggering it. The answer to his first dilemma turned out to be easier than he had anticipated, unfortunately. Kunoichi dropped behind him in a blur of red and black from her perch on one of the support beams without a sound, silently snickering as she rubbed her hands together like an evil mastermind, while Yukimura's one-track mind kept him focused solely on the door and not on the displacement of air behind him. She then quickly moved, cupping his mouth with her gloved hand, eliciting a muffled cry of surprise from him, before building off her momentum and the element of surprise and quickly disappearing in another blur of black and red, dragging Yukimura with her.

When she let go, the two were currently sitting on one of the support beams that provided a perfect bird's eye view of the door. He shot her a stern look, silently demanding to be let down, but the brunette ninja just smiled back at him. Before he could speak up and reinforce his demands verbally to the mischievous Warlord, the sounds of footsteps echoing off the walls cutting him off. He then opened his mouth to warn whoever was coming, but Kunoichi swiftly intercepted him and covered his mouth again. His eyes narrowed in slight anger, but, given that he lacked any measure of Kunoichi's grace and dexterity, he made no sudden movements to avoid falling or causing the wooden beam, which somehow was able to support both their weight and the weight of his armor, to collapse.

When he saw that Kenshin, who had been frequenting Terrera in a non-violent manner to discuss strategy with his nemesis the past month, Shingen, and their Pokémon were all walking towards the audience hall, his eyes immediately widened in shock and he tried calling out to get their attention. It was to no avail, however, as Kunoichi's grip was tight enough to not let any discernible words escape, and the heated conversation of the two Warlords drowned out any sound remaining. With her free hand, Kunoichi grabbed a bowl of popcorn she had the foresight to bring, and began eating in anticipation of watching her prank unfold.

"I am telling you, nemesis; that is the state of affairs."

"No; it's plausible, Kenshin, but we have no guarantee either." The robed man turned to look at the shorter Warlord, while the two Pokémon in the background shared a collective sigh at the impending argument.

"I can assure you my sources are reliable; it is."

"I will have to see this evidence myself, so until then; it isn't." the two had stopped outside the door, much to Kunoichi's annoyance and Yukimura's relief, and were now arguing.

"It is."

"Isn't."

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"Buneary season!"

"Ducklett season!" as Shingen blurted that out, he leaned against the door, pushing it open and sending the bucket on top of it crashing down on him in a shower of feathers. Kenshin abruptly stopped his contradiction as he saw that, while Shingen spit a few feathers out of his mouth, and Kunoichi began laughing at the scene. Yukimura managed to wrest her grip off him, causing one of the powder-filled containers attached to her belt to fall off and land on Shingen, enveloping him in a cloud of alchemically-induced smoke. When the smoke cleared, Kunoichi had vanished, somehow Shingen's mask had been turned upside in his flailing about, and Kenshin, Gallade and Rhyperior were all eyeing Yukimura, who was now stranded and sweating bullets.

* * *

A few year-long hours had passed since the meeting, a tense silence having descended over the humble castle of Aurora. It was finally broken when the occupants filed out into the courtyard solemnly, all eyes upon the soon to be battleground, and the two Warlord standing across from each other on it. Neither said anything to the other, their partners respectfully sharing in their silence, merely staring across the distance of the sparse grass at each other. Naoshige strode up to the space between them, clearing his throat and breaking the staring contest between them.

"The terms are as follows: neither of the combatant's Pokémon may leave the confines of the battlefield upon the penalty of disqualification," the Auroran began, gesturing to the rectangle they were in that had been crudely drawn with chalk. "Nor may the combatants themselves enter the field. Either side may capitulate at any time they desire. The loser must acquiesce to the demands of the victor."

With the obligatory rules said and done, Naoshige raised a hand skyward. Both of the Warlords took a breath in anticipation, while the members of the Aurora Army quietly began placing bets in the background.

"Twelve on Kazumi," Hanbei commented to Mitsunari, who was quickly jotting down all the bets on a small notepad, before turning to Motonari. "Why do you think they're fighting with rules like those?"

Motonari smiled. "I assume it's to keep their Pokémon from getting too injured in a lengthy battle. Three on Lord Tadashi, if you would."

"Begin!" no sooner had Naoshige's hand lowered and he took a cautionary step backwards, had the two immediately shouted out their commands.

"Quick Attack!" both blinked at the other's command, their Eevee's not sharing their hesitation or shock. Two blurs of brown shot forward and collided, ricocheting off each other with equal force before tumbling back to their respective sides and quickly recovering.

"Obscure it with Sand Attack!" Tadashi commanded, his Eevee sparing no time in kicking up a cloud of dust. Kazumi furrowed her brow in response, a dainty hand going to her chin.

_"It's only a smokescreen; he's probably already ordered a Dig by now. We can't match his Eevee in a melee for long, but if we can keep it from getting close..."_

"Use Shadow Ball on the ground!" More than a few eyebrows were raised at the command while Motonari just hummed in approval at the tactic. A barrage of purple balls were unleashed across the battlefield, imploding as they made contact, one of them managing to collapse the tunnel the opposing Eevee had been digging, sending a hail of dirt and rock down on it and giving away its location. Tadashi growled in frustration while Kazumi smiled, pointing enthusiastically towards the refuse.

"Now! Quick Attack and fall back!" the Evolution Pokémon at her side lunged forward, quickly closing the gap between the other normal type that was still struggling against the weight of the earth, and crashed into it with all the force it could muster before turning tail and regaining its distance. Tadashi's Eevee fell some distance away, getting back up and shaking the dust off its coat in disgust, while the male Warlord frowned at the situation.

_"Shadow Ball was only effective because it could build off something else."_ the Warlord mused, his eyes quickly glancing to his Pokémon. _"Remove that, and..."_

"Close in with Quick Attack and attack with Bite!" his Eevee charged forward, a trail of white streaking behind it.

"Meet it head on!" the female Warlord's own Pokémon shot forward, both aware that the latter would not be able to suffer multiple attacks and hoping to recreate the prior deadlock. The two Pokémon lunged forward, but as Kazumi's Eevee was getting ready to slam into its opponent, the other Normal Type used the momentum to jump upwards in a somersault over the attack and land behind the female twin's Pokémon. The Normal Typw spun around as the other stopped its attack, and lunged forward, biting down on its exposed tail, eliciting a pained shriek from Kazumi's Eevee before spinning around and flinging it across the field.

"Follow up with another Quick Attack!" Tadashi commanded, his frown having transformed into a slight grin at the development. Kazumi, who was helplessly watching as her own partner flew through the air, grimaced at the command. Eevee collapsed a few inches away from the chalk, while the opposing Eevee continued its charge forward, and a realization dawned on the girl at that observation.

_"The ring! If that attack connects-"_ she quickly shook her head, chasing away those thoughts while her partner bounded back to its haunches. _"But it works both ways. We don't have to overpower Tadashi's Eevee; just knock it out of the ring."_

"Shadow Ball on the ground!" she shouted once more. Her Eevee didn't waste a moment in unleashing a barrage of the purple-tinted spheres of energy, the spheres rocketing across the field. Tadashi's Eevee tried to do its best to dodge; swerving, skidding and pulling off every maneuver it could to avoid the shockwaves from the implosion of the Ghost Type attacks, only for one of them to land close enough for the ensuing explosion to launch the Normal Type off its hind legs, cutting off its attack and sending it skidding across the field. Tadashi's Eevee recovered at the edge of the chalk as well, and his brows immediately furrowed in recognition.

"Two can play that game..." before he could issue out another order, Kazumi had beat him to the punch.

"Knock it out with Quick Attack!" her Eevee bounded across the field, and that was when an idea began to form inside the teen's head.

"Hold..." he commanded to his Eevee, who obeyed, both watching the other Evolution Pokémon approach with bated breaths, Kazumi tensing involuntarily at his lack of action. Her Eevee got closer with each passing second, and as it was near-striking distance, that was when Tadashi saw his chance.

"Now! Dodge with Dig!" to everyone's surprise, Tadashi's Eevee quickly escaped into a shallow hole, while Kazumi's just rocketed over the area it had once been, having stepped into a lunge seconds before, and threw itself out of the ring.

Another awkward silence fell over the area; Kazumi's mouth hung agape at the action, her Eevee having landed a few feet behind her partner's twin. Tadashi just smiled slightly, if not a bit smugly, while his partner's head poked out of the hole in the ground. The spectators kept their eyes glued on the field, trying to process what had exactly just happened, and Motonari chuckled quietly to himself at the outcome.

"Well that was anti-climactic." Hanbei commented with a yawn, shattering the quiet, and causing to Naoshige blink, having been fixated on what had just occurred as well.

"Um... Yes, well," he began, stuttering slightly in hesitation, before stiffly turning to Kazumi. "Eevee _did_ go out of the ring, so I'm afraid I'll have to declare Lord Tadashi the victor."

A series of groans erupted from the impromptu audience as the small pile of coins at stake was divided between Motonari and Oichi, but neither of the Warlords paid them any heed. Naoshige took a quick step back as Kazumi stormed over to her brother, her Pokémon returning to her side. She stopped about a foot away from him, arms crossed, porcelain boot tapping impatiently against the ground, lips pursed and shooting a look that would have made him wince on any other occasion. This time, though, he just maintained his half-smile, stifling any laughter that threatened to escape his throat, and raised an eyebrow in return.

"What?" he replied innocently, somehow succeeding in keeping a straight face. She frowned, clearly not amused.

"That was cheap." he shrugged.

"No; it was unorthodox. And you can't expect your opponents to always act fair on the battlefield." she sighed in response, pinching the bridge of her nose. Arguing now would do more harm than good.

"Fine," she halfheartedly said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "You won. I still don't agree with this, but I give my consent as co-Warlord."

Tadashi gave a nod, a more genuine, if not bittersweet, smile crossing his features. "All right. We'll march for Violight first thing tomorrow morning; I'll send for Motochika to meet us at Greenleaf and we can carry on from there."

With that said, the male twin turned and left the field, Pokémon in tow, leaving a somewhat troubled sibling behind.

* * *

No looked down at the map of central Ransei and its surrounding kingdoms, spread across the centerpiece table in the tower that the Oda generals were so accustomed to meeting in now, moving her manicured finger across the eastern portion of it that had been plastered a stately purple, to an area where the crimson red and pristine white of two kingdoms began to bleed into each other.

"We could always assemble our forces in the plains here to lure the Takeda and Uesugi out from their strongholds with the promise of a pincer, and entice some of the officers to defect during the battle. The confusion would be intoxicating; we would be able to take advantage of their disunity and take them out one by one..." Mitsuhide, standing across from the purple-clad woman, shook his head in disagreement before drawing his gauntlet across the sheet.

"If only it were that easy; Kenshin and Shingen inspire a fierce loyalty in their followers, and even if we could convince a few to turn coats, there is still no guarantee that this rather underhanded scheme would go unnoticed by either. Rather; I say we perform a more risky maneuver." the Nixtormite's hand moved to the western kingdoms, particularly to one painted a light, grassy green.

"We can sneak a small force along the Terrera-Illusio border and use them to seize Chrysalia," the Warlord practically felt the temperature of the room drop at the mention of the Kingdom, the tension in the air becoming palpable. He realized that, he too, had stopped talking involuntarily and opened his mouth to speak, only for Ieyasu to interrupt.

"Would it not be more effective to launch an amphibious assault rather than try to sneak through the epicenter of the opposition, Lord Mitsuhide? I would gladly lend whatever amount ships are required f-" Mitsuhide shook his head.

"No. Naval maneuvers would draw to much attention; we need complete secrecy if we are to make this plan work," he replied, before returning to said plan. "After seizing Chrysalia, we can use that as a springboard to launch a two pronged invasion on Illusio, sending Lord Masamune and Lady Nene to delay Terrera's reinforcements while Lords Ujiyasu and Kotaro march from Chrys-" the blue-clad man's exposition was ended by a low, hollow chuckle from the presence on the other side of the tower; the armor clad man gazing out the window of the tower not even bothering to turn around.

"That is... unnecessary, Mitsuhide. Their alliance is built on fear; it will eventually make way for complacency. Either their rivalry or an external force shall cause it to fall apart; that is when we must move. It is a matter of inevitability. You are dismissed, Mitsuhide." whatever words Mitsuhide had died in his throat at hearing the command, stuttering for a few minutes in an attempt to come up with something to say in compensation for his shock, only to shake his head, bow, and quickly stride out of the room. The octagonal tower just dissolved into an awkward silence for a few moments later, no one knowing what to do in light of what just happened, until Nobunaga turned around and began to descend the shallow stone platform that led up to the window.

"Ujiyasu and Kotaro would betray Nobunaga the moment they believed they could emerge victorious. Masamune will remain loyal only if he believes that we are the victors. If we were to engage Shingen and Kenshin in an open, equal battle, they would ensure our defeat. If we would not bring them to the battlefield, they would revolt regardless," the various Warlords simply remained silent, drinking up the words of their lord as he came to a halt. "Mitsuhide has yet to see this; he is too sympathetic... and must be made to understand."

"My- My lord..." Ieyasu began, his head shooting up at hearing the Demon King's declaration. "You _want_ Ujiyasu and Masamune to betray us!?"

Nobunaga merely chuckled. "All in due time, Ieyasu. We each have a role to play, and the stage has been set. Ransei shall know peace regardless of the outcome." With that cryptic remark, the Warlord of Dragnor turned from the confused assembly and left the room.

* * *

Ranmaru's head whipped back and forth between the various hallways that connected the main keep of the massive citadel, ensuring not to drop the parcel he was holding in the process. He had been assigned to deliver an undisclosed item to Katsuie, but the aging retainer was nowhere to be seen, and now he was beginning to get frustrated. Preparing to turn around and head back the way he came, hoping that, by some strange measure of luck, he would run into his directive on the way, the boy instead heard a lighthearted voice from behind him.

"Hi there! Are you lost, little girl?" Ranmaru turned around at the bubbly question, seeing a rather oddly dressed red-haired girl that looked to be about his age standing behind him, gazing over the page with green orbs. He blinked in response to the question, quickly looking around for any signs of another person, until he blinked dully once more and realized that she had directed the question at him. He then turned back to the girl, who was still curiously looking over him, and frowned slightly.

"I am a _man_ , thank you very much!" his assertion would have probably carried more weight if his voice hadn't cracked. Surprisingly though, the girl just blinked and smiled at his somewhat harsh retort.

"Oh, okay then!" she replied cheerfully, not skipping a beat or appearing the slightest bit concerned about the mistake. "So what's your name?"

The page blinked once more, her friendliness and near perpetual smile making him completely forget the faux pas that had occurred just seconds ago, though his hesitation over the whole ordeal had yet to pass. "Ranmaru."

"Ranmaru, huh? That's a nice name! I'm-"

"Gracia!" the excitable girl, Gracia, turned around at hearing her own name being called, seeing Mitsuhide rapidly approaching after having turned a corner.

"Hi, papa!" Ranmaru's eyes went wide at her greeting, his mouth going ajar for a second before he quickly recomposed himself.

_"Lord Mitsuhide has a daughter!?"_ the page's eyes quickly darted between the two. Aside of the obvious physical differences, such as her red hair to his black, or her rather eccentric dress that looked to be foreign compared to his dull, traditional blue, the two also seemed to be complete opposites in personality. Gracia, from what Ranmaru could tell, was perpetually happy and incredibly outgoing, vibrant in a word, while the Warlord of Nixtorm was one of the most stoic and reserved people Ranmaru knew. In short; he could see no resemblance whatsoever. But when Mitsuhide finally reached the two children, Ranmaru could tell that the man was far less enthusiastic at seeing the girl present than she was him, and that, combined with him already knowing her name, led him to the conclusion that they were indeed related. And when the page put thought to it, he recalled that the Nixtormite had never once mentioned his home life, only to be shaken out of the reverie when Mitsuhide finally began to speak with a fervor that only a concerned parent could have.

"What are you doing here!? How did you even get here!?" the girl just smiled at the distraught Warlord, toying with the braid on the right side of her hair.

"It's soooo boring in the castle, papa! There's almost no one to talk to or play with, and you've been gone for so long too! So Mr. Toshimitsu finally let me come see you." Mitsuhide looked up from his daughter and quickly gazed around for any sign of the mentioned retainer. When he failed to see any sign of the man, Mitsuhide let out a heavy, if not sympathetic, sigh and rubbed his temples, while Gracia turned back around.

"I thought he was right behind me..." she muttered, folding her hands behind her skirt.

"I'm taking you back." the Warlord declared calmly, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and directing her to follow. She pouted disappointedly, letting out a depressed sigh in disagreement, but made no further complaints as she was led away from where she had been moments ago. The girl rebounded quickly, and tossed a glance over her shoulder.

"Bye, Ran!" she called out with a wave to the still observing-page. The boy blinked at the nickname, and Mitsuhide finally remembered that he had watched the entire event and turned around himself.

"I apologize." Ranmaru was left to ponder whatever the unsaid portion of the apology was, as Mitsuhide and his daughter turned a corner and left his sight. The page stared at it for a few moments, still running the details of the encounter over in his head, until he remembered the parcel still in his hands. He spun around, immediately colliding with the sternum of the very person he was supposed to deliver the item to, and shattering it in the process.


	18. Chapter 18

"My lord?" Oichi poked her head into the dining room, having been on her last rounds for the night when she noticed a few lights coming from it. Inside, Tadashi was still hunched over the table, moving around various pieces in mock battles forlornly under the dim and dying light of a few candles. His Eevee was sleeping contently on the table nearby, as everyone else in the castle was by now, and at the sound of her voice the brunette perked up. Turning around, she immediately noticed that his face seemed to be drained of any life to it; eyes downcast and dulled, mouth fixed into a remorseful grimace, and shoulders slumped like there was an invisible weight on them.

"Oh. Hello, Oichi," he remarked sullenly, his tone matching his composure hauntingly. "I didn't see you there."

She frowned in concern, eyebrows furrowing at the sight. "Why are you up so late, Lord Tadashi?"

"I couldn't sleep." his reply was simple, though the auburn-haired girl suspected that had not even tried, and he turned back around. Oichi took a cautious step forward as he leaned over the table once more, setting aside the candlestick she had been holding to illuminate her trek, the flickering of the flames shifting the shadows and creating an even more eerie, depressing atmosphere.

"What's troubling you, Lord Tadashi?" the girl already knew what had perturbed him so much, finding a disturbing likeness in his own dilemma to one she had gone through not so long ago. The Warlord turned back around, a small amount of gratitude at her gesture sneaking onto his crestfallen countenance, and he let out a heavy sigh before replying.

"I... I just don't like fighting with Kazumi. Sure, we'll tease each other, but actually having to fight against each other in a battle? She's the only family I have left, not to mention that we'll be heading back to Violight tomorrow..." he trailed off at that, his pursed lips breaking slightly into an open frown, and Oichi wondered to herself about his comment. He shook his head, as if trying to shake away his troubles, only to give up with another sigh and downcast look, the light from the candles casting shadows across half his face.

"It's just draining," he conceded slowly, before looking back up. "Do you have any siblings, Oichi?"

Perhaps he was only asking in an attempt to relate to her, but that single, innocent question immediately struck Oichi like a bolt of lightning, a shiver shooting down her spine, hands trembling as she stuttered in an attempt to respond. Tadashi immediately raised an eyebrow in concern, but she managed to recompose herself quickly enough to provide an answer.

"I- I had a brother..." Tadashi gave a sympathetic nod followed by another sigh and a bittersweet smile, knowing better than to pry any more.

"I guess we're in the same boat, huh?"

"Yeah..." the two stood in a bated silence for a few moments, sharing in the other's melancholy sentimentality, before Warlord turned back around, the sounds of his boots against the floor and the shifting of more pieces breaking it.

"Go get some sleep, Oichi." his tone told the auburn-haired girl that it was more of a request than an order. She raised her head, quickly recomposing herself and frowned slightly.

"Not until you do, Lord Tadashi. You need rest as much as any of us." he raised his head again, looking over his black spaulder and to the girl clad in pink and white still standing near the entrance. He smiled genuinely, something which surprised her, and proceeded to blow out all but one of the candles covering the table without any quarrel, another act that surprised her, juggling both the final candlestick and his still sleeping partner. She picked up the candlestick she had placed down, and the two left the room together in complete silence.

* * *

Morning had not even rose on Aurora yet, but the inhabitants within were already wide awake.

"I'm so tired, Kanbei..."

Well, most of them.

The albino turned to the narcoleptic from his place across the dining table they had been sitting at for the past half hour, waiting for the Warlords, while the latter was busy rubbing his purple eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Focus, Hanbei. This shall be our first conflict in some time, and we cannot afford to have you fall asleep in the middle of it."

"Maybe I'd be a bit more focused if you didn't drag me out of bed at four in the morning..." he muttered back before letting out a yawn. Motonari, who had been busy brewing his morning cup of tea, came in from the kitchen and placed a small cup in front of Hanbei. Hanbei gave an appreciative, semi-conscious nod before picking up the porcelain and taking a swig of the drink inside. He blinked a few times, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head, as Motonari turned around and went back into the adjacent kitchen. The tactician then quickly dumped the rest of the tea in a nearby plant before putting the cup to his lips, leaning back, and making a loud slurping sound before placing it back down on the table, observing Kanbei's look of utter disdain in the process. Motonari reappeared, another teacup in hand, and eyed the empty one sitting on the table with a quizzical scrutiny.

"My... I didn't think you would have liked it that much, Hanbei, but at least I know now what to give you whenever you start to doze off." Hanbei just grinned sheepishly in response, while Motonari turned around and proceeded to a nearby chair to mask a disarming smile.

"It certainly did wake me up." Hanbei reaffirmed with an uneasy smile. Motonari just chuckled as he took his seat, taking a sip from his own cup.

"Evasion is unbecoming, Hanbei." the tactician groaned disappointedly in response, slinking back into his chair. He opened his mouth to speak only to get cut off as the all too familiar sound of metallic boots echoing off the walls, accompanied by the creaking of the floorboards, made its way into the room, followed by rather unkempt-looking Kazumi appearing in the doorway.

"We'll be leaving in a few minutes, and it will be a while before we get to Violight, so get anything else you need now..." the Warlord declared with a yawn of her own, running a brush through her frayed hair, which was not done up in its usual ponytail, as she spoke, before turning and staggering back down the hallway in a semi-conscious daze. Hanbei turned back to Motonari as her figure disappeared around the corner, gesturing for him to give her a cup of tea as well.

"I'm not that cruel," he commented with a small smile, taking another sip from his cup, causing Hanbei to cross his arms and slink back into his chair again.

* * *

By the time that they had made it to Greenleaf and met up with the remainder of the Warriors who would be joining them, the sun was steadily rising, painting a series of reds and oranges that were chased away by the blues that followed. And now, with the sun firmly set overhead in the sky, the cacophony of warriors were marching towards Violight, upbeat chatter ringing out from their assembly as they began to enter Violight's lightning-stricken badlands. Despite the relative amicableness of his company as they proceeded through the barren terrain and winding road, Kanbei was more focused on his foreboding surroundings. He looked back and forth as they marched along, Hanbei urging him to at least not look as nervous as he was, a request he blatantly ignored.

The chirping of a bird overhead as they began to enter a gorge immediately drew the gaze of the suspicious tactician skywards, where he observed a Staravia circling them for a few seconds, letting out a cry that was ignored by most of the others within the column. The Ignite's dark eyes narrowed in suspicious as it finally flew away, vanishing from his gaze as it glided past one of the mangled rock walls that made up the formation.

"I saw it too," Hanbei remarked, drawing the attention of the taller tactician standing next to him. His carefree veneer had dropped as he eyed the area where the Flying Type had flown off to. "It's probably only a scout."

Kanbei let out a contemplative sigh through pursed lips, a gloved hand going to his pale chin. "Perhaps. The terrain here would make an ambush painstakingly difficult to achieve, but that should be no excuse for laxness on our part."

As the two began their discussion about the impending battle, taking care to warn the Warlords beforehand, the Staravia descended onto the white gauntlet of an armor-clad brunette, busy trekking across the dreary plains on his Zebstrika. The Starling Pokémon looked upwards towards its debonair partner, letting out a few chirps that he managed to decipher as he pulled the reins with his other hand.

"So, the Otomo are on the march?" he mused, while the Pokémon began pruning its wings. "Oh well, we knew this day would come eventually."

The man then smiled, before reaching down into his saddlebag and pulling out a sheet of parchment, a pencil, and a small length of string. Writing as quickly as he could, he then rolled up the report and tied it the Flying Type's leg, before steering his mount back around and raising his gauntlet as a signal for the Pokémon perched on it to begin its ascent once more.

"Go on and report back to Ginchiyo!" he called out, as the Flying Type began rising higher. "I'm going to round up the rest of the patrol; meet back up with me once you're done!"

The Pokémon let out a cry in the affirmative, doing its best to give a salute with its wing without plummeting out of the sky, before soaring back towards the castle, while Muneshige snapped the reins of his mount, spurring the Electric Type across the plains.

* * *

"There it is..." Kazumi, at the head of the column with her brother, remarked sullenly. He gave a stiff nod in agreement, eyes gazing over the castle-city in the middle of the otherwise desolate badlands.

"It feels like an eternity since we've last been here." Takakage, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow.

"You've been here before?" it was a simple question, but as Tadashi turned back to face him the blond could tell he struck a sensitive chord.

"This was our home." the co-Warlord of Aurora turned back around after that quick, melancholy clarification, signaling for the warriors behind him to begin moving again. Apparently both of the twins desired to end this as soon as possible, because the relatively large army had crossed the last trek of the plains and what little farmland dotted the outskirts of the city within record time, coming up to the edge of Violight and being greeted by an entire battalion of warriors and their Electric Type partners. At the front was a brunette woman, looking to be only a few years older than the twin Warlords that had just drawn up their army outside the castle, clad in a dulled, violet suit of plate armor adorned with various splashes of gold. Her arms were crossed, rosy lips curled into a disapproving frown, and steely eyes narrowed at the sight of the approaching army. Kazumi and Tadashi came to a stop some distance away, and the woman, hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword, took a few powerful steps forward, brushing aside the hem of her white cape in the process, while the Luxio standing proudly beside her moved to match her pace. When the Warlord came to a stop a few yards away from her soon-to-be opponents, the three stared at each other in a bated silence.

"So, you've returned," she remarked in a dismissive, somewhat condescending manner, her scrutinizing gaze running between the two siblings. Tadashi frowned in response, crossing his arms and spurring his Eevee to hop off its perch on his shoulder, eyeing the brunette across from him. Kazumi just sighed inwardly.

"And nice to see you too, Ginchiyo. Glad to know that your sunny disposition hasn't changed in the slightest." Ginchiyo's eyes fell solely upon the male twin, boring into him with a ferocity that could only be matched by the glare he was giving her in return.

"I see your tongue is still sharper than your wit, boy." Tadashi grit his teeth at the comment, clenching his fist in anger.

"I'm only three years younger than you!" the woman's grip on her sword tightened, and she took an aggressive step forward to match the one that he had taken with his loud retort. Kazumi finally moved to intervene, pulling Tadashi back sharply by the red scarf wrapped around his neck, causing him to let out a few choked sounds in surprise, and giving Ginchiyo a reconciliatory look.

"We're not here to argue, Ginchiyo," the female twin remarked, earning a considerably less hostile look from Ginchiyo as the matter at hand was brought back to her attention, the Tachibana heiress letting her hand fall from the hilt of her blade. Refusing to let go of her sibling's shoulder, and encouraged by the lack of yelling, carried on. "Now, is Mr. Dosetsu here? We wou-"

"Father abdicated shortly after you left," she replied curtly, though civilly enough to not sound dismissive. "I am the Warlord of Violight now, and on our honor we shall not be defeated!"

With that declaration, in which the two Warlords were prepared to suddenly avoid an attack, much to their surprise, Ginchiyo simply turned back around with her Luxio and stormed back the few feet she had crossed. Standing in front of the warriors that had accompanied her, she lowered a gloved hand towards the two.

"If you desire Violight, prove your worth! Fire!" the assembly of Electric Types behind the Warlord immediately unleashed a mass volley of lightning at the startled Warlords. Kazumi took a step back at the sight of the arced lightning racing towards her, only for Tadashi to react faster and shove her out of the way of the cacophony of attacks racing towards them, an arm raised in front of his head in an ultimately futile gesture to shield himself.

"Leaf Tornado, with haste!" his eyes shot open as a barrier of leaves quickly erupted in front of him, giving him enough time to escape before the bolts of lightning shot through and landed in the radius of where he once stood, scorching the earth as it subsided. He gave a quick, and gracious, nod to Motonari and his Servine as they strode up to them, the other warriors, who had been stunned themselves at the prospect of watching their Warlords get electrocuted or worse, close behind. Tadashi turned back to the row of Violighter warriors standing across from them.

"Attack! Motonari, Motochika; pincer them! The rest with us!" Ginchiyo smirked somewhat at hearing his command, maintaining her steely composure in the face of the overwhelming army maneuvering around her, before turning to one of the nearby warriors.

"Tell Shoun I don't want him and the main force to charge until he sees the signal." the warrior gave a quick bow before quickly falling out of the line of battle, unnoticed by the Aurorans in their hasty maneuvers. Ginchiyo lowered a hand towards them, her face quickly hardening.

"They are no match for us; we know no fear! Charge!" the woman then drew her jagged sword, a burst of electricity enveloping her violet vambrace in the process, while her Luxio let out a valiant roar. The Violighters charged forward with their Pokémon, letting out an earth shaking war cry. Crossing a large amount of ground in a frighteningly short amount of time, they quickly managed to outmaneuver the collage of Grass and Water Type using Warriors that were prepared to fall down on the small entourage, and rushed towards the position of the Warlords.

"Typical Ginchiyo..." Tadashi muttered disdainfully, before preparing to charge himself and meet the Warlord head on, only for another firm grasp to prevent him from racing off. He turned around and saw his sister was the culprit once more, but based on the perturbed looks from both Hanbei and Kanbei, the teen could tell this was of importance.

"That's what concerns me." Hanbei cleared his throat shortly after she finished.

"Charging straight at the enemy commanders with only a small group of soldiers at the beginning of the battle is something more fitting for the vanguard than the enemy commander." Tadashi quickly stole a gaze over his shoulder, observing the charging band of warriors headed towards them, narrowing his eyes when his gaze locked with the woman at the front.

"Or someone idiotically brave." he retorted as he turned around, the eagerness at the prospect of being able to knock Ginchiyo down a few pegs evident in his inflection.

"Brother, you ca-" Kazumi was cut off by a bolt of lightning streaking by her, landing only a few inches to her left. She stumbled back in shock, nearly hitting Hanbei in the process, and Tadashi turned back around to see that the Violighters were almost on top of them.

"We don't have time to argue! Eevee; Dig on Luxio!" Kazumi turned back to the two tacticians as the Normal Type plunged underneath the plains.

"Brother's not thinking straight; I want the two of you to stay back and keep your eyes open for any sign of the enemy," Kanbei responded with a curt nod while Hanbei gave a semi-serious salute, and Kazumi turned her attention to the battle as Mitsunari's trio entered the fray behind Tadashi, the Eevee standing next to her bolting forward. "Quick Attack!"

Kazumi's Eevee charged into the melee, crashing into a Blitzle that was about to collide with Tadashi's Eevee, who was locked in a dangerous dance with Ginchiyo's Luxio. "Charge, Luxio!"

The black and blue feline was immediately enshrouded in a veil of electricity, the fur of its mane sticking out as currents of electricity coursed and sparked throughout it. The male twin saw his chance.

"Bite! Don't hold back!" The Normal Type in front of him lunged forward, paws slamming against the dust and dirt of the plains before jumping up and latching onto the Spark Pokémon's electrified mane with a powerful bite, only for the proud Pokémon to literally shake the Evolution Pokémon off with minimal effort. Ginchiyo nodded in approval while Tadashi grimaced.

"Impudent! Spark, Luxio!" she commanded, pointing towards the downed Eevee. The Electric Type let out a roar, amount of electricity that it had been storing in its mane cackling to life in a blinding and threatening display, before bounding across the distance towards the terrified Evolution Pokémon.

"Escape with Dig!" the Pokémon managed to pry itself out of its shock at the command, driving its paws into the infertile soil and quickly burrowing a passage to escape the its impending electrocution at the hands of its opponent. Luxio skidded to a stop a few inches away from the hole, the electricity that had enveloped it subsiding for a moment, before looking up and letting out an aggressive growl at Tadashi. He took an instinctive step backwards, but another command from nearby managed to distract the Spark Pokémon.

"Use Dragon Rage on Luxio, Axew!" Both of the Warlord's heads snapped to the side as Kiyomasa, who had been patiently waiting for a clear shot at Luxio, shouted out his command to his partner. The small Dragon Type opened its maw, a mass of purple flames immediately spewing out from it. Luxio jumped upward, causing the attack to fly by harmlessly and land in front of the approaching Motochika, only for Eevee to take the attack as its cue to charge. The Normal Type rocketed out of the ground in a hail of dirt and pebbles, slamming into the underside of the falling Electric Type. Luxio winced in pain, but used the opportunity of contact to immediately discharge the electricity that was still stored within its body, causing a massive amount of voltage to surge through Eevee, cutting off any chance it had of landing gracefully. Both Pokémon collapsed in a heap on the hard earth, but neither of their partners paid any particular heed to the situation; too busy staring each over down to issue out a command.

Finally Luxio got back to its haunches without any decorum, disregarding the Axew that was too exhausted from the previous attack to pose much of a threat, and instead eyeing the Eevee that had fallen a few feet away. Its fur was tainted with dust and dirt, on end from the electricity that still occasionally streaked through it, and breathing heavily from the exertion and damage. Luxio barked, as if commanding for it to stand up and continue the fight, which it hesitantly did. Tadashi merely saw it rising back, and not his partner's condition, too focused on Ginchiyo and her relatively unharmed partner.

"Sand Attack!" he cried out. The Normal Type spun around, chanting its name like a mantra as it kicked up particularized clouds of dirt and rock, creating a small smokescreen. Ginchiyo scoffed at the action, crossing her arms as her lips tightened.

"Predictable. Prepare to dodge and counterattack." her command was restrained, eyes quickly glancing over both the cloud and surrounding earth for any signs of movement or activity, her Luxio's gaze locked firmly ahead, only to notice another presence fast approaching from the corner of her steely eyes.

"To your left! Spark!" the command came just in time. Luxio swerved left, already emanating a field of electricity, and slammed into the Dewott that had been barreling forward towards it, scalchops drawn in preparation for a Razor Shell. The Water Type cried out is name at the collision, stumbling backwards as the Super Effective move coursed through its body, only to recover quickly and march forward. Ginchiyo noticed a few of the pebbles near Luxio shaking, and immediately understood what was about to happen.

"Roll to the right!" not skipping a beat, her partner quickly sent itself a few feet away from its opponents, causing the aquatic blades Dewott held to slam into nothing but empty earth, which soon gave away as Eevee launched out from underneath it, slamming into the Water Type before it could stop. Tadashi grunted in frustration at the development, Motochika plucked a few droll notes from the instrument handing from his neck, and Ginchiyo allowed a shadow of a smile to creep onto her face.

"Conclude this with Spark!" Luxio lunged forward towards the two downed Pokémon, arms out and teeth bared, only for another voice to quickly divert Ginchiyo's attention.

"Dragon Rage!" Kiyomasa's Axew, having recovered from the draining attack, quickly unleashed another ball of purple energy directly in the path of the soaring Spark Pokémon, before the kid in green picked up the Dragon Type and quickly fell back from the melee again. It made contact, causing the Luxio to cry out and drop to the earth, skidding across the hard dirt before coming to a stop some distance away.

"Bring us to a crescendo with Fury Cutter, Dewott." the Discipline Pokémon drew the shells hanging from its sides once more, and quickly closed the gap, slashing and hacking away at the downed Spark Pokémon with abandon. The Electric Type growled at the barrage of the blue Pokémon, discharging the electricity that had been stored up in preparation for what it had hoped would be the final move in the battle, only for Dewott to perform a backflip and land harmlessly away from voltage, scalchops crossed over its midsection in preparation for a counteroffensive. Luxio lunged forward, intent on crushing the lithe Pokémon underneath its paws, only for Dewott to drop to its knees and slid forward, wincing as it glided across the rough ground before flipping upwards and delivering a kick to Luxio's exposed underbelly. Luxio lost its equilibrium and tumbled across the plains, coming to a stop at the pointed tips of Ginchiyo's boots.

"Give up!" Tadashi shouted out. He knew better than to think that the woman would even consider capitulating, but just felt like taunting her. "You're outnumbered and surrounded."

The jeer seemed to have its desired effect; she grit her teeth in response, hands balled up into fists as she was about to yell something back, only for the sight of a few mounted figures across the distance of the plains to make the words die in her throat. The Warlord of Violight immediately recomposed herself, while her Luxio somehow managed to get back to its paws and present itself proudly.

"You will not have this Kingdom while I still draw breath. Flash, Luxio!" her partner shouted out its name while the woman immediately closed and shielded her eyes, and before anyone could act, a blinding surge of light quickly enveloped the large, circular melee that the battle had dissolved into. Tadashi, blinded and confused, stumbled backwards out of instinct while the massive battle raging around him came to a grinding halt with the overwhelming light. Watching from a safe distance across the plains, though still shielding his eyes, Muneshige chuckled.

"Let's ruffle some feathers." with that he raised his arm, beckoning the Staravia flying overhead to proceed, before snapping the reins of his mount. The warriors behind them followed suit, and not before long the mounted warrior had quickly galloped past a blinded Hanbei and Kanbei, towards the backs of the confused Auroran warriors. Across the field, in the direction of the Castle-City of Violight, Muneshige could make out the twin banners his father had attached to the back of his armor, and the main body of the Violight Army close behind as they sallied out towards the other flank of the Auroran Army.

Though the flash of light had already died down, nearly everyone was still blinded or had their eyes closed, and the panic was loud enough to mask the noise of the approaching warriors.

"Everyone; please calm down, it will only last a little while!" Muneshige's head turned when he managed to make out that request, seeing a grassy haired man that shared the dazed look that everyone else had, beckoning his surrounding warriors to retain their positions, while his partner's head darted back and forth, the blinded Servine anticipating an attack from somewhere around it. Muneshige was happy to oblige.

"Use Air Slash on Servine!" he shouted out to the Flying Type above him. Right after the Junior Warlord shouted out that command, the reinforcements on both sides clashed with the confused Aurorans and surrounded them, sending the battlefield into even more of a panic. The Starling Pokémon swooped downwards, wings folded back against its body, before extending them and shooting them downwards, sending a sharp gale of air directly at the blinded Grass Type. It heard the incoming attack, but realized which direction it was coming from too late, and was sent flying by the Super Effective attack. Motonari blinked rapidly, managing to regain his vision to where he could make out more than vague blurs, and immediately looked around for his downed partner. His eyes finally managed to make out Servine, lying snout-down in the dirt, struggling to stand upright after that direct hit, only for Staravia to swoop down and slam it into the ground with a Wing Attack. Servine tried to rise again, this time preparing a Leaf Tail, but Staravia merely hit it down into the ground once more. Servine made no third attempt to get back up, and content, the Flying Type flew away into the melee, leaving a distraught Motonari to scoop up his barely conscious Pokémon.

"Vine..." Motonari bit his bottom lip as the Pokémon moaned out in pain, immediately taking a swift glance around before maneuvering himself out of the battle.

"Forgive me, Servine. You suffered for my failings..." the humiliated strategist muttered to the battered Pokémon cradled in his arms, before looking over his shoulder to the battle. Through the din and chaos he managed to make out Ginchiyo's Luxio tackling a still blind Dewott with another electricity-enhanced attack, before spinning back around to the other opponents nearby.

"Prove our might, Luxio! Spark!" both Tadashi and Eevee had recovered their eyesight by now, but it was too late to help. Luxio came down upon the Normal Type with all the force it could muster, crushing the Evolution Pokémon with a copious amount of voltage and sending it skidding and tumbling across the plains in a cloud of dust. It came to a stop when Tadashi moved to catch the unconscious and battered Pokémon, shooting Ginchiyo a venomous look in the process, and moving to retreat only to stop when he realized fully that they had been surrounded. At a loss, and unable to come up with anything to do in the situation he suddenly found himself in, his focus was cut off when a pillar of fire erupted from behind him, breaking off part of the melee and cordon of warriors that had surrounded them.

"Quickly! This way!" the Warlord heard Hanbei shout out, waving in an attempt to draw the attention of his allies to the escape route they managed to make. Swallowing every ounce of pride and self-respect he had, Tadashi raised his voice above the din while maneuvering towards the clearing.

"Fall back!" his shouted order seemed to be unnecessary as many of the warriors were already retreating from the battle, but it nonetheless served as the final nail in the coffin for the battle. The last of Aurora's army quickly fled, with their partners either unconscious in the arms or trailing besides them, Hanbei and Kanbei staying behind for a few minutes and unleashing a barrage of attacks on the now combined and overwhelming Violight Army to buy everyone enough time to escape, before fleeing themselves under a well-timed smokescreen of smog.

By the time everyone had retreated and regrouped away from the battle and opposing army, it was clear they had lost. More than half the Pokémon were unconscious, the other half struggling to stay conscious, and everyone remained silent as they marched back to Greenleaf, a thunderstorm beginning to form overhead. Tadashi looked down to his unconscious partner, finally seeing the cuts, scrapes and bruises that covered it like patchwork, and did his best to bite back a few tears of grief.

_"What have I done?"_

* * *

"Well done, Ginchiyo; you've made your old man proud." Ginchiyo allowed a small smile at the praise coming from the retired Warlord seated across from her, before quickly reverting to a more neutral complextion.

"Thank you, father." her reply was simple, though contained some measure of pride, as she reached for the cup of sake that was placed on the table before her, lips titled downwards slightly as she took a sip from it. The scarred Violighter across from her raised an eyebrow at detecting that, quickly downing the contents of his own cup before addressing her.

"What's wrong, dear? You should be happy about your victory today." Ginchiyo took another sup from her cup, eyes glancing over the rim of it.

"I was anticipating more of a fight from the two that unified all of southern Ransei." Dosetsu began to laugh heartily, grabbing his cane and slowly rising out of his chair, the Luxray resting contently next to him moving as he did so.

"Those two might be Lord Sorin's successors," he commented, hobbling over in the direction of one of the windows. "But they pale in comparison."

"I believe Motonari Mori is serving as their strategist." though Ginchiyo was quite prone to agree with her father's assessment, she felt it necessary to at least point out that detail. The Warlord saw the man bristle slightly; knowing that no matter how hard he and his late lord had tried, they had never been able to defeat the Greenleafer, but he quickly recovered and let out another bout of laughter.

"That old bookworm went soft years ago." he dismissed with a wave of his free hand, before turning back around slowly.

"And with that new training regimen you've put the troops through after the... incident," this time Ginchiyo was the one to flinch unintentionally. "It's not really that much of a surprise you won. Now go on; my throat's dry, and you need to learn to enjoy your victory with someone who doesn't happen to be more than two and a half decades your senior."

The woman sighed, but gave a bow and stood, walking out of the small room.


	19. Chapter 19

Kazumi silently observed Naoshige diligently working away at his desk, the quill he held in his hand dancing away at the mountain of paperwork that sat on the wooden material. She absentmindedly poked one of the stacks of parchment from her seat, silently wondering how much work could Aurora really require to manage, only to recall that he also had the burden of managing the still unprotected Ignis as well. The Warlord made a mental note to recruit some unaffiliated warriors at the next chance she got to defend it, or at the very least mention it to Naoshige, but silently folded her hands, eyes glancing down at her boots, as she waited for the man to finish. Finally, with the sound of him stamping a wax seal onto a letter, the brunette looked up to see the man placing an envelope off to the side before addressing her.

"I'm sorry about forcing you to wait, my Lady. What might I help you with?"

"It's fine, Naoshige. I just came to ask a question." his face brightened considerably at the clarification, and the girl sitting across from him suspected it was simple relief at not having another task added to his workload.

"Of course; what do you wish to ask?" Kazumi intertwined her hands, putting one purple covered leg over the other as she thought through her question.

"It's something I've been thinking about for a while, actually, but I was wondering why uncle had left us Aurora in his will instead of Violight." Naoshige leaned back in his padded chair slightly, eliciting a loud creak from it in response, placing his wrists on the edge of the desk in contemplation.

"My guess would be, my Lady, is that Lord Sorin did not want you to become complacent," Kazumi raised an eyebrow, nodding in either agreement with or understanding of his logic. "After all; if you began with a large pool of devoted retainers and every luxury at your disposal, I fear that there would be little incentive to better yourselves or properly serve the Kingdom."

"I guess that makes sense... Thank you, Naoshige." the white clad man gave a nod in return, sitting upright again.

"My Lady, though I do not want to be forward; I assume returning to Violight is what brought up the matter?" the girl gave a nod in return, blue eyes glancing downwards again.

"Yes..." she began, lips pursing slightly. "I guess it just opened up some old wounds. Brother was never on good terms with Ginchiyo, and he didn't really take having to leave Violight well either. I never really minded Ginchiyo, Mr. Dosetsu was always nice to me, and I always enjoyed being around Muneshige," she smiled faintly as a she said that, before the expression vanished as quickly as it had come. "And it just doesn't feel right fighting against them. And I fear brother won't think straight if we get into another battle with them."

"Perhaps you should talk to Lord Tadashi?" her eyes flickered with recognition at the suggestion, and expressed that with a quick nod, before standing up.

"I probably should, thanks Naoshige. I'm sorry that I started to prattle there." the retainer seated behind the desk simply chuckled.

"No, not at all, I'm glad to be of some help, Lady Kazumi." she gave another nod in appreciation before leaving the office, while Naoshige let out a weary sigh and looked back down at his manuscript-covered desk.

"And back to work..."

* * *

"Father?" Takakage's head poked through the doorway to the former storage room that was now Motonari's study, his brown eyes landing on the strategist's occupied chair. Motonari turned around, his face brightening when he saw his son in the doorway, closing the book he was reading and pushing it to the side.

"Ah, hello Takakage. I was just reading the most fascinating novel." the Greenleafer, now stepping out of the doorway and into the room, raised an eyebrow.

"Novel? That isn't what you normally read, father." Motonari shook his head in agreement.

"No, but I happened to see it the other day while browsing the bookstore, and thought it might be an interesting read." Takakage chuckled at the mention of that.

"I swear that the only reason they're still in business is because of you, father... So what's it about?" the middle-aged man reached for the tome he had set aside, flipping it over to see the summary.

"It's a story about the journey of a boy and his Pikachu as they travel around the world." Takakage crossed his arms.

"That doesn't sound all that original..."

"Perhaps not, but it is certainly quite funny." the boy raised an eyebrow.

"Funny?"

"Oh yes! It has some of the most outlandish ideas I've seen. For example; rather than linking with Pokémon, they catch them and carry them around in little spheres." the blond Greenleafer blinked at hearing that, while Motonari carried on. "And then there is the main character himself; not only does he have a pool of ever increasing admirers that he never seems to notice, but every time he travels to a new land he seemingly forgets everything he learned and everyone he knew in the previous."

Takakage scratched the back of his head, eyes glancing down at the knots in the wooden floorboards. "That sounds more like a satire than a novel, father."

"Perhaps, perhaps... And if not, I would rather just pretend it is." Motonari agreed with a chuckle, returning the book to his desk before turning back to his son. "Ah, but I've interrupted you. What is it you wanted to talk about, Takakage?"

"Oh, right." the boy responded with a shake of the head, looking back up at the strategist before hardening his features slightly. Motonari felt a sense of foreboding creep up on him. "Father, I want to ask you about the battle."

"Of course." the smile the semi-retired Warlord wore masked his inner distress.

"Why didn't you stop Lord Tadashi from taking the bait? You father, of all people, should have been able to outmatch the Tachibana."

The strategist broke his façade with a sigh, scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Well, one of the best ways to learn is by examining your mistakes, and if I were to solve everything I fear that would lead to complacency. Lord Tadashi needs to learn he can't let emotions dictate tactical decisions, especially when the safety of others is at stake."

"Wouldn't that also put others in harm's way?" Motonari chuckled at Takakage's reasoning.

"Yes; but war isn't fought because it's safe, son. Pokémon may be the main way of fighting it now, but that does not mean they do not suffer either, and it would do good to remember that from one defeat than realize it too late." Takakage crossed his arms at that, his lips pursing slightly.

"While we're talking about that, father, why did you let Servine nearly get knocked out?" the grassy-haired man leaned back in his chair a bit, shoulder slumped, eyes downcast and a slight frown managing to mar his usually reserved visage.

"I didn't." the reply might have been simple, but Takakage's reaction was far from it.

"But- How-" Motonari raised his hand, silently asking the boy to stop, which he did with a measure of reluctance.

"As I've said, son; I'm far from perfect or invincible. I predicted the pincer, yes, but I did not anticipate or prepare myself for the Flash that precipitated it. No one can do everything." Takakage opened his mouth to protest, but then slowly closed it, letting out a repentant sigh in the process, before turning and heading to the door of the study.

"I understand, father. Thank you."

* * *

Tadashi looked down at the Pokémon resting on his lap, its bandaged midsection moving up and down with every rhythmic, subconscious breath it took. He stroked it gently a few times, taking extra care to not apply pressure as his palms grazed over the bandages, before scratching the Normal Type behind its pointed ears. The Eevee let out a contented sigh between its breaths, while the twin's lips tightened.

"I'm so sorry, Eevee," his voice was quite, respectful in not wanting to wake the Pokémon from its much needed sleep. "I was careless... and you got hurt."

He tapered off after that, turning in his seat on the balcony of his room to watch the sunset, sinking against the backdrop of Aurora's village. He simply stared at the scenic sight, dulled blue gazing into cascading yellows and oranges, drowned in his thoughts until a light rasping on the door in his bedroom shook him out of his undetermined reverie. He looked back into his room, considering whether or not he should respond to the unspoken request, before deciding with a sigh.

"It's unlocked." the door creaked open in response, and though Tadashi had looked back to the sunset immediately after, the familiar sound of metal hitting wood gave away who had just entered. His counterpart crossed the room, stepping onto the small platform that extended from the side of it, and sat down in the small chair opposite to him. The two remained enshrouded in an awkward silence, neither bothering to the other in the eye for some time. In the day that had passed since the battle, neither had talked to the other; not during the retreat to Greenleaf, or their overnight stay there, nor on their disappointed return to Aurora. Tensions had been high, and Tadashi was still angry at himself while Kazumi was unsure about how to approach the situation, before deciding on a less direct approach.

"You missed dinner."

"I know." the awkward silence returned for a while, neither saying anything again. Finally, Kazumi cleared her throat uncomfortably to break the silence, and Tadashi looked back up from his resting partner.

"Tadashi, I-"

"No," he began, shaking his head in preemptive disagreement. "It was my fault. I just... got caught up in the moment."

She gave a hesitant nod in understanding, but before she could talk he let out a hollow chuckle. "It's funny, you know. We've only been here for a little more than half a year, and I already consider Aurora our home. And after everything we've gone through to get to where we are, one simple thing seemed to throw all that out the window. I was foolish, and I put everyone else in danger because of that."

Kazumi let out a sigh, folding her hands as she finally lifted her gaze to meet his. "You recognize that, but there are still consequences."

"What?" the female twin pinched the bridge of her nose as Tadashi's head whipped back.

"Well; we're going to have to go back to Violight again. If Mr. Dosetsu was still the Warlord, he probably would just turn a blind eye. But this is Ginchiyo were talking about, and she won't let this go unpunished. I don't think your taunts really helped the situation, either." the teen slunk back in his chair, letting out a sigh of his own as his eyes glanced back to the Pokémon sleeping peacefully on his lap.

"I've made a mess of things..."

"No one is perfect, brother. And that's what you have me for." she joked, giving a hesitant half smile. He chuckled in response, a small amount of amusement sneaking into his voice.

"Yeah..." Tadashi's visage darkened after giving his reply. "I try to protect you, but you're the one who always ends up cleaning after me. Am I really necessary?" the female Warlord bit her bottom lip at his musings, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Of course you are! I wouldn't know what I'd do half that time if it wasn't for you."

"That's probably because you're too busy dealing with me to actually have any time to yourself." Kazumi sighed.

"Tadashi," she said firmly, drawing his attention. "Yes; you messed up, but don't sit around and mope about one defeat! Use this as an opportunity to learn from what you did wrong. You're still one of Aurora's Warlords, brother; people rely on you, I rely on you, and it's unbecoming for you to be sulking about like this." the Warlord in question was taken aback by her speech, and for a few moments failed to reply, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as he tried to come up with something to say, while Kazumi looked down on him with a mixture of sympathy and sternness. Finally, he recomposed himself, giving a resolute, if not slightly hesitant, nod, and looking up to his twin who had stood up halfway through her lecture.

"Thanks, Kazumi." though he only said two words, the look in his eyes spoke volumes to the other twin. She could tell he was still unsure about his worth as a leader, it was only natural to think about that after a defeat, as she herself had experienced those doubts, but there was also a unspoken relief in them; like part of a burden had been dropped from his shoulders. She knew he just needed some time and space to think things over, and voiced that understanding with a small smile. She turned to leave, only to stop in her tracks and look back down at the seated boy.

"If you ever feel like you need to talk; I'm here for you, brother." he cracked a small smile at hearing that, replying with an appreciatory nod. Kazumi turned back around again, the faded pink fabric that hung from her shoulders flapping slightly, before silently leaving the room.

* * *

The remainder of the day had passed at a remarkable pace, and the next came without any incident. Tadashi seemed back to his usual self, or at least was masking his concerns with an incredible amount of finesse, and morning carried on as usual. Kazumi's eyes gazed over the list of items she held in her hand as she made for the castle doors, striding through the somewhat refurbished throne room and into the sparse foyer. Pushing open the door, the Warlord was immediately assaulted by the fresh autumn gale, slightly overcast skies that hid the morning sun, and the familiar scent of nature that all were symptoms of the seasonal change. The few trees that dotted the courtyard still maintained their green leaves, but were beginning to show figments of other colors, and another sharp gale ran through the enclosure, tugging at the hem of her sash, cape and the ends of her long hair.

"Autumn is upon us." her head jerked to the side as the unexpected comment rang out, blue orbs landing on Mitsunari. He was leaning against the wall of the castle, arms folded and head titled upwards towards the sky. She blinked at the sight.

"What are you doing out here so early?" He stood upright, unfolding his arms and flicking the closed fan in his hand towards her, almost in a chastising manner, before resuming his previous stance.

"I go for a walk around the castle grounds every morning," the boy replied, before lowering his head slightly. "You would think the Warlords would pay more attention to the comings and goings of their subordinates."

Kazumi raised an eyebrow at Mitsunari's muttering, though given that it was unintelligible to the female twin due to the distance between them, and that it was far too early in the morning to get into an argument, she decided to ignore the remark. The Auroran turned to leave, but the boy's voice rang out again.

"So where are you going?" she turned to look back at him, lifting up the small list she was holding.

"I just have to make a quick stop to the village." Kazumi assumed that would be the end of the conversation, so his next question took her completely off guard.

"Would you mind if I... accompanied you?" the question, hesitant as if Mitsunari himself was unsure about asking it, caused her to stop dead in her tracks. The white-clad Warlord turned around fully, managing to keep her surprise from completely overtaking her features, and stood in place for a few moments. The auburn-haired boy across from the twin eyed her cautiously, wondering if asking her was a good idea, let alone what spurred him to ask her to begin with, and the Warlord shook her head in a sheepish embarrassment when it dawned on her that she had merely stood there speechless for the past moments.

"If you want to." Mitsunari gave a halfhearted nod in affirmation, still trying to detect his motives. Was it an attempt at an apology? Was it him trying to be more outgoing (at Kiyomasa's insistence)? Was he just lonely and wanted someone to walk with? Was it a combination of them? The red-clad boy pushed those thoughts aside when he realized that, he too, had taken far too much time between actions and took a few quick paces across the courtyard to reach the older girl's side.

The trip was short and without incident, with few words being shared between the two. Mitsunari merely watched as the girl quickly got the items that they needed, again lost in his thoughts. She turned around after stashing the last item in the leather satchel that hung by her side, one that looked suspiciously like her brother's to Mitsunari, and called for him to follow. He did, but immediately stopped as something caught his eye. It was a mother doting on her son, who looked to be about his age. Immediately the boy found himself transfixed on the sight, studying it like a foreign curiosity, while a dozen emotions immediately swirled up inside of him. Envy. Sorrow. Anger. Confusion.

"Mitsunari!" he snapped back to reality when he heard his name get called out, and rather loudly at that, immediately realizing that Kazumi had probably called him a few times before and he had been too drowned in his thoughts to hear. He immediately turned away from the sight, running up to her while giving a quiet apology, silently hoping she had not noticed his daydreaming. To his relief, she seemed not to, and turned back towards the direction of the castle, Mitsunari letting out a breath he was not aware he had been holding in afterward.

It had happened to him previously, but either no one would be around to notice or care, or Kiyomasa and Masanori would shake him out of it and carry on like nothing happened. They empathized with him; none of them particularly wanted to talk about it. But, as if some fate was playing another cruel joke on him, or the Warlord in front of him could read minds, when they had gotten back onto the short dirt path that led up to the castle, she approached the subject. But what she said was not a question, no; the girl knew the look she saw in his eyes all too well. It had been one that she herself had when she was younger. Rather; Kazumi simply let out a statement that caused Mitsunari to stop dead in his tracks, his muscles freezing up at her deduction.

"You're an orphan." Kazumi stopped shortly before she said that, turning around to make eye contact with the auburn-haired boy. His throat had gone dry, arms limp, and he stared at her, his face showing slight surprise, before transitioning into a measure of fear mixed with complete shock. He quickly recomposed himself though, readopting the veneer that had been the norm for him for some time, crossing his arms and lowering a more stoic gaze slightly.

"How did you guess?" Mitsunari's voice had a certain amount of dread in it that hinted at his reluctance over the topic.

"It takes one to know one," his head shot up at hearing her reply, his façade once again melting in the face of a strange mixture of shock and foreboding. She carried on, her own countenance having adopted a grim composure. "Why else do you think we were raised by our uncle?"

"At least you had someone..." he remarked bitterly, his voice sullen and low before becoming uncharacteristically shaky. "I don't even know my own birthday..."

It was Kazumi's turn to freeze in apprehension at his reply, biting her bottom lip in indecision. Her eyes gazed over the boy, his face hidden beneath the shadow of his large headdress, mouth drawn out into a pained scowl, hands trembling and balled up into fists. She kneeled down to his level, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mitsunari looked up, eyes bloodshot and puffy, immediately stifling a sniffle. She took a breath, trying to portray the kindest appearance to him she could, and uncertain of what to say; underneath all his brusqueness and bluster, Mitsunari was still a child.

"We all have our scars, and we've all lost something. It's a reality of the time we live in. But we also have each other and our friends to turn to." Mitsunari let out a dry chuckle, an empty smile spreading across his face as he tried to recompose himself.

"Yeah. I guess that's why your brother's so protective of you." the comment was followed by a hasty, hollow laugh that was clearly just an attempt to change the subject. She let out a faux-smile herself and played along.

"Sometimes I think he's just afraid he'll lose me too, and... I'll admit I'm scared of losing him. I suppose we all have a bit of protectiveness in us." her reply was followed by an empty, half-hearted laugh on her part, though it also held with it a bittersweet acknowledgement. Still, her reply seemed to have the effect of alleviating Mitsunari somewhat, or just gave him the time to recompose himself.

"Someone has to keep Masanori out of trouble." he replied with a slight smile, one somewhat more genuine than his laugh.

"True." Kazumi agreed, feeling a slight flicker of amusement at the comment. The tense, melancholy air that had gathered at her initial statement seemed to have dissipated, but she knew that it was probably still at the front of Mitsunari's mind. The Warlord decided to not pursue the matter any further; she of all people knew how uncomfortable it was to discuss the matter for any length of time. Rather, the girl felt she had at least helped Mitsunari a little; he knew that there was someone that could relate to him, and would be willing to listen to him if he wanted to talk about the issue anymore. Kazumi gave him another smile and stood back again, while he extended his fan to shield his face, and the two resumed their walk to the castle in silence. Though, this time, it was a far cry from the awkward one it had been when they first left.

* * *

Ujiyasu winced in pain as he moved to place an empty glass that was once filled with sake on top of a pyramid that he had been forming out of them, before reaching for another empty shot glass and the bottle of the liquid, before looking down at his bandaged sternum. A few weeks might have passed since Nobunaga had conquered Cragspur, but broken ribcages tended to take longer than that to heal, let alone stop hurting, and copious amounts of booze only aided the healing process so much. But, as pragmatic as he was, he still tried to find the silver lining; Nobunaga completely demolishing Cragspur's keep and a good portion of its fortifications, had given him the opportunity to rebuild it on a far grander scale and evaluate the previous setup's failings, which would hopefully ensure that it would resist another attack.

He looked up as the flaps to the tent that was serving as he temporary room opened, and Kai stumbled in after having to duck to avoid one of the support beams. "Yeah?"

"Sorry dad, I didn't mean to interrupt..." she trailed off at eying the large pyramid of shot glasses occupying the greater portion of the table that took up the center of the room. "Whatever the heck you're doing right now-"

"Getting drunk." he clarified through a slur.

"Right... Anyways, this arrived from Dragnor." at the mention of the Dragon Type Kingdom, and at the sight of her holding up an opened letter, he somehow regained his sobriety. She strode over to his table and extended the enveloped, which he took from her grasp and quickly glanced over.

"Hm... Another logistical report."

"Should I send it to Kenshin like the last one?" Ujiyasu raised an eyebrow, though not taking his eyes off the report before placing it down on the table.

"No. It's junk anyways." Kai gawked.

"Junk!? Wha-" the meaning of his comment sunk in. "Wait; are you saying Nobunaga's trying to use us to trap Shingen and Kenshin!?"

Ujiyasu's brow furrowed, eyes glancing back down at the paper on his desk before moving to his daughter.

"No..." the Warlord of Cragspur clarified with no small amount of hesitation. "He's using us, that's undeniable. But I don't think that's it. If he knows I'm the leak and wanted to feed misinformation to Shingen and Kenshin, then why give them something completely trivial?"

He out a hand to his chin, lips contorting into a frown. "There's something bigger going on, and as much as I don't want to be, the Demon King's made us a part of it."

Ujiyasu reached to refill his glass, and Kai ran a hand through her hair. "Do you know what it is, dad?"

"No," the grizzled man replied with a shake of the head. "And I don't really want to. Now go along dear, I have a bottle of sake to get back to."

* * *

Tadashi let out a weary sigh, kicking a stray pebble out of his path. Thoughts, though somewhat alleviated, still troubling him, he had left the castle and descended into Aurora in hopes of being able to clear his head. He tugged slightly at the red scarf around his neck as a gust of wind blew down the relatively vacant street he found himself on, sweeping up a bit of dust and causing the Pokémon perched on his shoulder to close its eyes and brace itself. Despite wanting to be alone, the Pokémon had refused to let him leave without him bringing it along after witnessing the conversation yesterday, and so it now clung onto his shoulderguard as the two walked down the road. Coming to the end of the path, the Warlord took a sharp turn and promptly collided with something massive, sending the Auroran tumbling down and causing the Eevee to hop off his shoulder to avoid the impact.

"Whoa! Sorry 'bout that, didn't see ya there!" Tadashi felt a large arm grab him with a surprising amount of strength and effortlessly hoist him back to his feet, and as he took in the wild, unkempt blond hair combined with an outlandish appearance and rowdy voice, it immediately clicked with him who he ran into.

"Keiji?" the massive warrior let out a hearty laugh, the bulky dual type behind him joining in after a second, while Tadashi bent down to let his Pokémon back on his shoulder.

"Yep! The one and only!" his smile faded as he got a better look of the troubled expression of the Warlord. "What's wrong, kid? You look glum."

"I'm just... thinking about some stuff." he replied, before looking back up at the man, another thought beginning to form in his mind.

"It must be nice to not have a care in the world," the brunette began, causing Keiji to raise an eyebrow. "To be able to go wherever you want without having to worry about a Kingdom."

The wild warrior just let out another bout of laughter, though it was more conciliatory than anything else. "It has its charms, yeah, but you're a hotshot Warlord now; four Kingdoms under your belt is no small feat, and one small defeat is no reason to go questionin' all that. Just get back on your feet and try again."

The Warlord below his gaze looked up slightly, not entirely surprised that the nomadic man had heard about their defeat, but not enthusiastic about the news either, before letting out a small chuckle at registering what the wanderer had said. "That's what my sister said, too."

"Ya should probably listen to her." Tadashi's gaze hardened slightly, but the blond just waved it off. "Trust me when I say this; you're not the first Warlord to get worked up over a loss."

"How many Warlords have you met, Keiji?" the warrior in question just smiled at his half-question.

"Ya'd be surprised about all the different people ya get to meet when ya just wander around." Tadashi nodded his head in agreement, arms crossed as he began thinking over both Keiji's and Kazumi's words again, and let out a dry chuckle.

"Yeah... I guess you're right, Keiji. Thanks." a small smile had managed to break out on his face by the time he finished, and he concluded with a gracious nod, before turning around and heading back the way he came.

"Ah, no problem!" the muscular warrior behind him shouted out, before turning to the Bastiodon behind him. "Now where was that Ponigiri shop ya wanted to visit?"

* * *

"Shadow Ball, Eevee!" the purple sphere of energy rocketed across the room, and slammed into the training dummy with an implosion powerful enough to knock it down. Kazumi gave a nod in approval to her partner at eyeing the damage to the literal straw man, only for her attention to be drawn to the door of the training room as it slid open, revealing her brother on the other side.

"Ah, Tadashi. You look better." the Auroran commented happily, turning in full to see him enter.

"And feeling better, too," he replied with a renewed gusto, something that managed to relieve his sibling. "And it's thanks to you. And you're right; I don't need to get so hung up on one loss."

She smiled slightly at that, while he continued his walk across the room, coming to a stop as he stood a few feet away at the other end of the mat she was on, where the destroyed dummy had once rested. "So with that in mind..."

Tadashi raised a bent arm, letting his Eevee descend off his shoulder and onto the ground below. "Don't hold back!"

She gave a nod in return, her face hardening a bit in preparation for the sparring match, while both Pokémon prepared for their partner's commands.

"Quick Attack!"


	20. Chapter 20

Ginchiyo rested her cheekbone against her balled up hand, letting out a sigh of pure boredom as her steely eyes ran over the details of the papers that cluttered her small desk. Tactical and topographic maps, logistical reports, scouting reports, and various records of all kinds blanketed the stone desk, mixed in with the occasional ink and tea stain, and almost drowned the Warlord in dull details that it nearly made her forget the reason they were even there in the first place. She scowled as her other hand cramped up, flicking aside the quill she had been twirling between her gloved fingers and glaring angrily at the paperwork that had been the source of it.

_"I can see why father retired. A desk is no place for a warrior! This is demeaning! This is-"_ she slammed her fist down on the stack of papers as her train of thought carried on, launching a bottle of ink off its shelf and onto the mess below, sending a wave of black over it. She stopped and blinked at the sight, a small smile returning to her face. _"A good excuse to stop."_

She stood up from her seat with enough force to knock the chair she had been sitting in over, striding over to the only window that was opposite to the desk of the small office. The papers were only affirmations, anyways; her not looking over them would not delay the final preparations for the invasion of Greenleaf. If anyone asked, she could just say that Luxio accidentally fried them. The woman spared a glance back at the blackened paperwork, a thin eyebrow raised in recognition.

_"That's not a bad idea, actually..."_ she put aside that thought and turned back to the window, saving her vengeance against the insidious, bureaucratic nightmare behind her for another time, rather focusing on the impending assault on the Grass Type Kingdom. They would be ready to leave in a few days, as the Violighter wanted to ensure that they would make every possible preparation for an offensive. Unlike the Aurorans, Ginchiyo mused, she would not be caught off-guard, especially by someone who was famed for his strategic acumen. It was also a matter of family honor. Besides, capturing Greenleaf would put her forces in an ideal position; not only would it derive the Aurorans of their geographical bottleneck, but it would also force them to divide their forces in three or risk being surrounded. She made a mental note to relate that to Muneshige when he returned from his patrol. The sudden sound of flapping wings immediately alerted her, drawing her attention to a lone figure descending from the stormy sky and approaching her balcony.

_"Even think of the devil..."_ the Flying Type descended onto the balcony of the open window, giving her a sharp salute with one of its wings and extending an orange talon. She leaned in, undoing the knot of rope that tied down a small note to the Pokémon's leg, before giving it a nod in approval. Her eyes quickly scanned the sloppy scrawl on the paper, taking in the message before rolling it back up and tossing it to the side.

"So, Aurora's on the march again? Hm... This is an opportunity we cannot afford to waste." the brunette turned her attention to the Staravia still perched on the windowsill.

"Muneshige went on patrol by himself, correct?" the Pokémon chirped and gave a nod in response. "Tell him to fall back to the castle as quickly as possible."

The Starling Pokémon gave another salute before extending its wings, taking flight again. Ginchiyo turned back towards the desk, which her sword was leaning against, while her partner silently played Watchog, and suddenly realized that the past two hours had been a complete waste of time. Frowning slightly before shaking her head, she quickly grabbed the sheathed weapon and made for the door, her Luxio close behind; there was an entire army approaching she could take out her frustrations on.

* * *

The dreary skies of Violight hung overhead the army moving across the desolate plains like an ill omen, a dark shadow hanging over the panoply, as if silently taunting them to repeat their loss. The army just marched onwards, silent and orderly; clearly not wanting to experience the same outcome as before. Tadashi, from his position in the center of the column, looked upwards to the sky. There were no Pokémon circling them overhead. He then turned his gaze back to the formation; Motonari, Hanbei and Kanbei were in the front, acting as the vanguard, while he could hear the distinctive noise of Motochika's shamisen coming from the rearguard, where the Fontainians had been placed due to the type disadvantage, providing a beat to march to. In short; they were taking no chances.

The bleak landscape passed by quickly enough without any occurrence, the tension building with each step they took to their destination, until finally their destination came into view as the dying, bleak plains of Violight started to make way for the rigid stone city, and it's lightning rod-riddled castle. They came to a stop as the sight of the Violight army came into view; having been organized into three groups, a large row in the center and two small squares to each of its flanks, it was clear they had been expecting them. The two armies, neither particularly outnumbering the other, stood in a bated silence for a while, each waiting for the other to make the first motion or for one of their leaders to say something. Tadashi gulped audibly as the silence continued, weighing down on the field even more, and drew the attention of Oichi. She looked to the Warlord to her left and saw his lips quiver slightly, eyes dart between the Violighters and his own troops, and the sweat beginning to form on his brow. It was clear he was nervous, not wanting to fail again, but before she could offer some kind of reassurance he took a quick breath, steeling himself for the battle. He raised his hand slightly, before tilting it to the sides slightly, a signal for the ranks around the two Warlords to break off into their practiced formations.

She gulped herself, tightening her grip on the Balloon Pokémon in her hands, before moving to the left with some of the warriors from Greenleaf. It was partially out of nervousness; she had been entrusted with leading the left flank, but it had more to do with discomfort. The auburn-haired girl knew it would be impractical to continue fighting in the undisciplined manner they had when they were subjugating the south against more professional opponents like the Tachibana, but the style struck too close to the memories that plagued her for comfort. But the last thing the pink-clad warrior wanted to do was jeopardize the battle, let alone burden anyone, over something she had told herself was trivial, and so made her way to the front of the warriors, becoming more anxious with every step. Her arms trembled, knees quivered with every step forward towards the front, doubt about her capabilities increasing as the opposing army seemingly got closer with every motion. Her Jigglypuff let out a pained squeak, shaking her out of the overwhelming tide of thoughts that threatened to drown her, and the girl realized that her grip on the poor Pokémon had become more constricting with each step as well.

"Sorry, Jigglypuff..." the doubts returned with a vengeance. How could she be trusted to lead others when she wasn't even aware of when her Pokémon was in pain? Another squeak. Oichi sighed dejectedly, electing to just release Jigglypuff from her grip altogether. The Pokémon let out a grateful sigh as it floated down to the ground in front of the girl, who instead tried to focus on the impending battle at hand. The warrior narrowed her eyes slightly as she tried to make out the enemy in the distance, observing that the Violight Army had not been resting on their laurels while waiting for them to make the first move; she could make out the sparks and occasional glow of electricity from the Electric Types as they charged for the impending conflict. The girl grimaced slightly; every second they played this waiting game was an advantage to their opponents. It seemed that Tadashi had read her mind, or, more likely having remembered the tactic himself due to growing up around its practitioners, and raised his hand again, voice far more confident than previously.

"Vanguard, advance!"

"Guess that's our cue." Hanbei commented, his Pikachu stirring from atop his beret and jumping onto the dreary ground below. The three tacticians began their march towards the enemy lines, which succeeded in goading the small divisions Muneshige and Shoun commanded into charging the trio, attempting a pincer. The three stopped at the sight of about a dozen warriors charging them, the two Ignites quickly stepping forward.

"Fire Spin, Lampent; as rapidly as possible." the Ghost/Fire Type hovering behind the albino let out a ethereal reply, immediately generating a pillar of flames in front of the group which spun around swiftly enough that it better resembled a miniature, blazing tornado.

"Okay, Pikachu: Electro Ball, like we practiced!" the Electric Mouse Pokémon gave an affirmative, immediately generating one of the balls on its tail and launching it into the flames with a twist, chanting its name like a mantra while repeating the process. The small orbs shot into the tornado, riding the edge of it before the pillar of flames shot them out towards both of the approaching opponents with a mechanical efficiency that forced them to pause their charge for a moment to avoid the sudden barrage, earning a small nod in approval from Kanbei and a smile from Motonari. Hanbei just pumped his fist, a wide smile breaking out on his face.

"Yes! It worked!" he was cut off as a stray ball of electricity landed a foot or two away, imploding an immediately dissipating his cheerful expression. His eyes darted down to his partner, who was firing off the attacks with a bit too much enthusiasm. "Try to maintain a tempo, okay buddy?"

The Pokémon gave another affirmative, slowing down its pace while both the Auroran Warlords observed the sudden break in the Violighters formations as an opportunity.

"Charge!" two shouts rang out into one singular command and the two columns of Grass Type using warriors to each of their flanks charged forward, a frantic pace overtaking them in a desire to close the gap as quickly as possible. Ginchiyo frowned at the sight, eyes narrowing somewhat, and huffed.

"Predictable. Fire!" her hand shot outwards, pointed towards the two charging battalions and the warriors and Pokémon around her each let out a heart battle cry. Bolts of highly-charged electricity streaked out in a barrage, arcing over the heads of the reforming Violighters still under the barrage of the two tactician's makeshift move, and landing dangerously close to the Aurorans, forcing the charging warriors to stop. The temporary panic induced by the counteroffensive, combined with the barrage of electric orbs and pillar of fire dying down as the Pokémon generating it became fatigued, gave the Violighters the advantage again.

"Now, charge!" her hand retracted and the woman, along with her partner and the mass of warriors around her, took off towards the battlefield. Muneshige caught sight of that in his peripheral vision, but was too focused on the new opening in the Auroran's initial offensive to do anything more than make a note of it. He looked up at his Staravia, which had been frantically dodging the seemingly ceaseless barrage of Electro Balls to avoid getting shot out of the air, and then back to the trio of tacticians that had used the few seconds between the attack dying down and them regaining their senses to pull back from the Violight warriors.

"Use Air Slash on Servine, Staravia!" the Flying Type chirped out its name, circling around before diving downwards to unleash the attack on the Grass Type. Motonari took a quick look around, and from the Violighters closest to him already ordering attacks, to the main body of their army quickly approaching, to his own students trying to regain their bearings, it was clear he needed to act fast.

"Leaf Tornado, if you would." a spinning wall of leaves was quickly erected around the trio, blocking off the incoming electricity-based attacks, but the sharp gust of wind merely cut through it and continued onwards to the Grass Type.

"Intercept it with Iron Tail!" Hanbei's Pikachu launched itself upwards, using its metal covered tail as a springboard, and twisted itself to slice the attack in half. Motonari gave an appreciatory look to Hanbei as the Electric Type fell back to earth and the screen of leaves around it died down.

"Discharge, Flaffy!" the three quickly looked to the right, opposite to where Muneshige was, to see a warrior clad completely in armor and bearing two banners of the Tachibana on his back order out the attack, all the warriors around him taking a cautionary step backwards. Kanbei, somehow, paled slightly.

"Smog, and with haste!" the Lamp Pokémon behind him barreled to the front, spewing out a wave of noxious fumes that began to obscure the trio.

"I don't think so," Muneshige grinned slightly, extending an arm in the direction of the purple haze. "Whirlwind!"

"Stop it with Electro Ball!" Pikachu fired another one of the yellow orbs at Staravia as it swooped downwards to clear away the smog, forcing it to dodge and giving enough time for Kanbei's Lampent to cover their opponents in it as well. Unable to make out friend from foe in the haze, the attack that the wool Pokémon was about to unleash subsided for the moment, the Pokémon letting out a growl in frustration. It was cut off as a blur of green slammed into it tail-first, knocking it down before quickly retreating as Staravia blew away the cover. As Shoun moved to order his Flaaffy to unleash the attack, he realized it was too late; the few seconds they had bought by unleashing the attack and knocking his partner back, both Ginchiyo's contingent and the majority of the Auroran warriors entered the fray, the battle dissolving into a confusing melee that would make it impossible to not put allies in harm's way.

"Pound and Absorb, Treecko!" the warrior's head quickly shot to his left as another blur of green shot forward towards Flaaffy from the side of a blond in orange, the Grass Type quickly tackling Wool Pokémon. That was when Shoun saw his chance.

"Now, Discharge!" the Treecko was too busy attempting to drain the Flaaffy of its energy to notice what was happening until it was too late. Being the only thing aside of the hard ground that the Pokémon was in contact with, it served as the primary conductor of all the pent up electricity, which coursed through the Wood Gecko Pokémon with abandon. Flaaffy got back to its feet, causing the spasmodic body of the Grass Type to fall to the ground. Before the Warrior could follow up on his victory and finish off the barely conscious Pokémon, two more warriors and their partners arrived to assist their commander, giving Takakage enough time to grab Treecko and take a few steps back.

Ginchiyo passed by the battle, paying it no heed as she failed to find the opponent she was looking for. Though the Warlord was tempted to simply rush through the melee with her Luxio and charge the Warlords' position again, there was nothing left to prove by defeating them (in addition to being outnumbered five to one, disregarding the mass of Fontainian warriors behind them, but she was never one for odds). However, there was one Warlord somewhere in the frenzy that surrounded her that she did have an interest in defeating, and it was only a matter of finding him and carving through anyone who tried to get in her path.

It seemed to be an easier task than she originally thought, as a sudden burst of leaves that sent back a few nearby warriors and Pokémon immediately drew her attention. The Violighter's steely gaze fell upon the sight of a grassy haired man in blue and his Servine, the former wearing a slight, disarming smile as he gazed around, while the latter yawned absentmindedly, both having been separated from their comrades when the melee erupted. The clanking of her violet armor, somehow being distinguishable from the racket that surrounded them, drew the attention of the two, and he simply folded his hands behind his back and smiled warmly as she and her Luxio came to a stop a few feet away.

"Motonari Mori." her address was formal and reserved, not permitting any emotions to sink into her voice at seeing her father's greatest opponent. He chuckled slightly at her stoicism, his smile refusing to budge.

"My, Ginchiyo; you've certainly grown since I last saw you." the woman across from him sputtered and went red at hearing the Warlord say that like a distant family member who had not seen her in years, unable to formulate a proper response. She recalled that one day, the first (and only) time they met, nearly a decade or so ago, when the man had come to visit Violight to talk with her father and his late lord. She had met him at the entrance and, in a rather rash way that both embarrassed and made Dosetsu proud, declared she would defeat him in battle one day. His response was irritatingly similar to the chuckle he had given her only a few seconds prior, and now she had a chance to not only make good on her promise, but to avenge all the defeats her father suffered at his hands.

"Leaf Blade, quickly now." she was immediately brought back to the battlefield when Servine, with a speed that seemed implausible given its lax attitude not two seconds ago, barreled across the field, bashed its tail into her startled Luxio's head, and used the propulsion from that to ricochet itself back to the Greenleafer's side.

"You shouldn't let your guard down in the middle of a battle, Ginchiyo." his somewhat patronizing tone made the comment sting all the more for her. She growled slightly in response, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed in irritation, before taking a short breath. She refused to let someone get the better of her again.

"Flash, Luxio!" the Spark Pokémon let out a roar, stomping its front legs into the earth. Motonari's smile subsided.

"Brace yourself, Servine!" both the Pokémon and Warlord quickly covered their eyes as the blinding light quickly overtook the battlefield, having acted just quick enough to avoid being blinded like those around them. From their somewhat secure position away from the battle, at witnessing the bright flash overtake the field for a moment, Kazumi gave Tadashi a nod and motioned for Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori, the trio standing behind them, to follow, before giving a quick signal to Motochika to do the same.

"Thunderbolt!" Motonari edged his eyes open, his vision a bit blurry, despite having had his hand in the way of his eyes, and managed to make out both the panic that was taking place around him and the streaking bolt of lightning that was headed towards Servine.

"Jump." the Pokémon, not bothering to open its red eyes, shot upwards and narrowly avoided the current of electricity.

"Do not permit it respite; Spark!" before the Grass Type could fall back to the now-singed earth, Luxio had already bolted off from Ginchiyo's side and was charging across the field with abandon.

"Cushion your fall with Leaf Tornado, please." the Grass Snake Pokémon unleashed a whirlwind of leaves while it pulled off a somersault, the force of the attack causing Luxio to skid to a halt to avoid charging straight into it, and the gust of wind helping Servine land with its usual grace. Its red irises and stoic gaze connected with Luxio's predatory visage and its sparking mane for a short moment, before the fragile but nimble Grass Type shot across the field to unleash another Leaf Blade.

"Charge!" the blue Pokémon held its ground, storing up even more electricity in its already frazzled mane, while Servine twisted itself to jump, closing the gap between the two faster than the Warlord of Violight had anticipated, but that failed to draw any concern from her.

"Spark!"

"Propel yourself off Luxio's back." Ginchiyo's gaze morphed from a somewhat hostile determined to a more neutral suspicious at the hearing command, steely eyes watching as the Pokémon used what would have been an attack to merely throw itself higher into the air, narrowly avoiding electrocution by a second or two, before twisting itself to look downwards at the Electric Type below.

"Pin it with Leech Seed, if you would be so kind." Servine shot out a series of the unassuming brown seeds as it fell back to earth, and before either Ginchiyo or Luxio could move to counteract it, the seeds had imbedded themselves in the Spark Pokémon's paws, entangling it within a mess of thorns, and rendering it immobile. Servine crashed down on the top of Luxio's head with another Leaf Blade, causing the Pokémon to yelp out in pain before unleashing some of the pent up electricity in revenge. Servine grit its fangs, and jumped off the constricted Pokémon before it could continue to electrocute it. The mass of vines that were keeping Luxio constricted flashed for a second, before Servine resonated with a similar glow, and Ginchiyo's face hardened at the realization that any damage her Luxio could do would simply be undone by its bindings.

"Overcome this, Luxio! We will not be defeated!" her Pokémon let out a pained roar in agreement at her encouragement, trying to rise and break the vines holding it down, only for the vegetation to prove to be a bit more durable than it expected. The Pokémon fell back down to the bleak ground, attempted to stand again, only to be met with the same results. Motonari frowned slightly before letting out a heavy sigh, eyes downcast to avoid watching the display.

"Leaf Blade, once more." Servine, having backed away from Luxio, charged again.

"Stop it with Air Slash. Rescue Luxio, while you're at it." Servine's charge was abruptly cut off as an unexpected and sharp gust of wind sliced through the top of the vines enshrouding the Electric Type's midsection before slamming into it, knocking it down and causing both Ginchiyo's and Motonari's heads to snap in the direction the attack came from.

"Well, I see everything's going according to plan." Muneshige remarked as his Staravia swooped down to his side, landing next to the now freed Luxio.

"This is no time for jests!" the violet-clad woman chided, her head quickly snapping back to her mild-manner opponent immediately afterwards. Muneshige slightly raised an eyebrow in reserved aloofness at her not even chiding him for using the word 'rescue', coming to the conclusion that the situation was more dire than he thought. Not that she would ever admit that, though. Servine had climbed back to its haunches, and eyed the newcomer warily before its eyes fell on his Flying Type, red eyes narrowing in displeasure. Motonari raised an eyebrow at the emotions he began to detect from his partner, and chuckled slightly.

"Very well, Servine," the two Violighters immediately turned to look at the strategist. "Leaf Tornado on the ground."

The Grass Type launched itself upwards, using the momentum to rocket itself into the air. Muneshige's eyes brightened slightly.

"Quickly; intercept it with Wing Attack!" Staravia shot forwards, wings outwards. Servine eyed the Pokémon as it finished its ascent, and its grassy-haired partner developed a slight gleam in his eyes that immediately unnerved the two Violighters.

"Now, land on its back, please." the Grass Snake Pokémon used the last of its momentum to twist itself as Staravia swooped in to strike, managing to land firmly on the back of the flying type. The Starling Pokémon let out a surprised chirp and moved to throw the Grass Type off, only for Servine to quickly unleash a Leech Seed and jump off. A mass of vines quickly entangled the Flying Type, sending it plummeting helplessly back to the ground, while Ginchiyo's Luxio charged forward and tackled the falling Servine out of the air with another Spark. The Grass Type tumbled back across the field, managing to bring itself to a halt and reassume a defensive position, while Staravia collided with the ground in a sickening thud.

"Luxio." the Spark Pokémon scampered over to Staravia at the singular command, immediately biting down on the vines and tearing a few of them out, liberating the Flying Type underneath. Ginchiyo shot Muneshige a supercilious glance, silently rubbing in his usage of 'rescue'. He just gave her a cheeky smile in response. Motonari cleared his throat uncomfortably, his lips curled downwards slightly at the situation, drawing the attention of the two back to the battle.

"Leaf Tornado, directly this time." the Grass Type gave a slight affirmative before summoning a whirlwind of leaves and launching it at the two opposing Pokémon. Ginchiyo raised an eyebrow slightly at seeing the attack.

_"A direct attack? Something is afoot..."_ the debonair Warlord next to her noticed her slight hesitation, raising an eyebrow himself in amusement, before turning his attention to the attack that had now completely obscure their vision of the Greenleafer.

"Blow it away with Whirlwind, Staravia." the Pokémon that had taken to the skies once more swooped downwards, frantically flapping its wings to blow away the attack. When the gust of wind the Flying Type had kicked up subsided, along with the spiraling barrage of leaves, both Violighters saw that the area that their opponents had been occupying was now empty. Both their eyes widened in distress, and before either could take any make any sort of action, Servine dashed in from the left and slammed into Luxio with another Leaf Blade, knocking the feline Pokémon back with a surprised yelp.

"Now; Wing Attack!"

"Intercept it with Quick Attack!" Staravia had spun around to try to dive-bomb Servine again, only for an unexpected Eevee to come barreling in from the direction that Motonari and his Servine had once occupied, smashing into the Flying Type before it could connect with the Grass Snake Pokémon, and nearly knocking it into Muneshige. Ginchiyo eyed the intruder angrily, steely eyes darting to the side to see Tadashi quickly approaching, before her gaze fell to her Luxio.

"Spark on the interloper!" The Electric Type Pokémon cried out, quickly covering itself in a current of high voltage electricity before charging at the Normal Type. Eevee had regained its balance too slowly to remove itself from the collision course, but Servine quickly jumped over the Pokémon, Leaf Blade at the ready, and crashed into its mane. The Grass Type pursed its lips as it felt the voltage course through its body, before quickly disconnecting with Luxio as it was sent off balance by the sudden force and stumbled backwards.

Ginchiyo was about to bark out another order to her partner when she noticed that it was barely able to stand, forelegs wobbling in place as it let out a pained breath. She frowned disappointedly at the sight, and it caused her to take a brief stock of the situation overall. Muneshige's Staravia was breathing heavily, purposefully flying a bit higher than usual to avoid any attacks, and the rest of the battle raging around her seemed to be going less than optimally as well. But she refused to let that deter her; quickly eyeing Motonari's Servine, she could also tell it was worse for wear, and that gave her a renewed confidence in the inevitability of her victory. As she opened her mouth to issue out another attack, though, another voice, considerably more powerful and authoritative, rang out over the racket of the battle.

"THUNDER!" the shout was quickly followed by the storm clouds that hung over the Kingdom in perpetuity erupting with a violent clap of thunder, before a few pillars of electricity shot downwards and into the think of the battle, quickly forcing the combatants to disperse to avoid getting hit. Every head immediately shot to the source of the noise, a sole man standing at the edge of Violight's stone city. Scarred, beginning to grey, resting his left hand at the base of a cane, clad in purple and flanked by a Luxray that was breathing heavily, he did not cast the image of being someone capable of shouting over the clamor of a battle.

"Father!? I thought you were-"

"Stubbornness runs in the family, Ginchiyo," he remarked to the Warlord before turning back to the rest of the Violighters, all of who were considerably closer to the city after the barrage. "Now; fall back! That's an order!"

The Tachibana heiress scowled slightly, but the authority his voice carried was impossible to ignore. Already the rest of the Violight Army had turned to retreat back into the castle, Dosetsu himself turning and hobbling along with them, and the proud woman finally acquiesced and joined them at seeing the Aurorans beginning to regroup and charge (and at Muneshige's silent urging). As she moved with Muneshige to retreat, they both caught sight of Shoun and his Flaaffy stopping in the middle of the city's cobbled road, the few warriors that had been directly under his command joining him as well.

"GO! We'll hold them off! Discharge, Flaaffy!" the Pink Pokémon in front of the armored warrior shot out a collage of electrical arcs at the approaching army, forcing them to come to a halt, while the few warriors standing next to him began ordering their Pokémon to do the same. Munshige stopped in his tracks turning back around when he heard his father shout that out, his head jerking back to the bottleneck they were now occupying. He opened his mouth to contest, but the older man would have none of it.

"NOW!" Muneshige's frowned, closing his mouth but not moving, and it was Ginchiyo's turn to pull on his shoulder to get him to follow. The man finally acquiesced, giving a nod and silently wishing his father good luck, before finally turning back and retreating with the last of the warriors.

"Keep it up!" the man directed, their barrage of electric attacks managing to keep the Aurorans at bay, before taking a cautionary step backwards. His eyes caught movement on the flanks of the mass looming over the edges of Violight, a few warriors breaking off in presumably an attempt to find a way to flank them. He then shot a quick look behind him to see that the last of the warriors were almost within the castle grounds, though the gates were still open. He gave a short nod to himself; holding off the enemy to ensure a safe retreat was one thing, but he was not so stubborn as to maintain a hopeless position when a better one offered itself. Either they would be trapped or the Pokémon would become exhausted; defeat would follow regardless. He motioned for his fellow warriors to slowly begin backing up, maintaining their close formation and barrage of attacks to keep the encroaching Aurorans at bay. When they were finally close enough to the castle entrance, hounded by the shouting of the warriors inside for them to enter, the last of the Violighters finally broke ranks and fled into the fortification, the gates quickly shutting behind them, followed by the sound of a metal bar quickly being pushed in.

The warrior let out a heavy breath at that, finally letting his shoulders slump as he heard the gates get barred, while the Wool Pokémon next to him fell on its back from exhaustion, taking as many deep breaths as it could while muttering out its name based language. The courtyard was filled with clamor as the warriors and their partners that were still able to fight scurried about, many other slinking back into the castle with their unconscious partners. Dosetsu, Muneshige and Ginchiyo were in the center of the bustle, seemingly the only things stationary as the world spun around them, all three discussing the matter at hand. Well, Ginchiyo was arguing with her father while Muneshige just stood to the side and watched.

"Father, we were-"

"About to be defeated. The Aurorans had called in their reserves and flanked you; your right had all but collapsed, your center was nearly surrounded and you were too busy trying to defeat Motonari to provide any assistance or direct the battle. Had I not interfered when I did, we would not even be having this conversation to begin with." his stern tone immediately caused the Warlord to close her mouth and glance downwards, features hardened in a saddened disappointment. Muneshige stifled a small smile. The man turned away from his daughter, cleared his throat and jabbed the end of his cane into the ground a few times as a signal for everyone to stop whatever they were busy doing. They did immediately.

"Now," the older man began, his gruff voice carrying an unusual amount of weight in it that captivated everyone in the vicinity. "I refuse to just sit back and watch the enemy gain ground! All men who agree; rally behind me! We'll show these upstarts the pride of the Tachibana!"

The warriors and Pokémon around him, so fixated on his short speech, let out a deafening roar in approval, their vigor having seemingly been restored by the mere presence of the ex-Warlord.

* * *

"Do the gates look a little... different to you, Kazumi?" the female twin blinked at her brother's comment, before her eyes drifted around to the beforementioned defense.

"Yeah. And parts of the walls too." the two, who were standing out of the range of the warriors on the walls while observing the building, turned around as they heard someone clear their throat. Hanbei was standing behind them, his appearance somewhat marred by the dust and dirt the battle had kicked up, though a small, optimistic grin still managed to break through.

"While I don't want to interrupt, we'll need you two for the planning." the twins each gave a nod, walking back with Hanbei to the makeshift camp on the outskirts of Violight. Quickly following Hanbei, they found themselves in a small circle consisting of Kanbei, Motonari, Motochika, Mitsunari and Oichi, the former four debating about the practicality and merits of using Water Types to launch themselves over the walls, while the latter just looked on in a dumbfounded stare at the surreality of it.

"It's unconventional and far too fanciful, not to mention the Type Disadvantage." Mitsunari said in his usual blunt deadpan, followed by Kanbei giving a slight nod.

"My sentiments echo his. There is also the matter of the Tachibana having the advantage of range." Motochika smiled slightly, completely unperturbed by the thought of the enemy being able to rain down electric attacks on him, before crossing his black-clad arms.

"Violight is willing to resist until the bitter end. If we want to avoid a costly battle, we will need to take them off guard." the Warlord of Greenleaf cleared his throat, pointing the dead stick he held in his hands, one that he had used to draw a crude diagram of Violight in the barren ground, upwards slightly and drawing the attention of the Warlords around him.

"Well, perhaps we should ask for our Lord Tadashi's and Lady Kazumi's input?" The heads of the four other Warlords turned as the trio came into the circle, Kazumi eyeing the map in the soil while Tadashi scratched the back of his head.

"Ask us about what, now?"

"We were debating whether we should use the Water Type Pokémon to launch ourselves over the walls." Mitsunari commented, his lips drawn into a thin line as he realized how crazy that sounded.

"Give it enough momentum, and it is possible." Tadashi just blinked at Motochika's clarification, processing the information before taking a look back at Violight's Castle. It was true that the walls were thicker than they were tall, he merely turned back and shook his head in disapproval.

"I take it you have another plan to overcome Violight's defenses?" Tadashi frowned slightly at Motochika's half-jest, but said nothing in return. Kanbei, however, did.

"We shall smoke them out of their foxholes." an awkward silence descended over the group after the albino's suggestion, and Tadashi noticed Oichi seemingly lose all color in her face. Hanbei broke the overbearing silence with a hopeless sigh, closing his eyes and putting his hands behind his head.

"Kanbei, I think the point of taking a castle is to take it intact. Not to mention you're the only one with a Fire Type as a partner in this entire army." his counterpart frowned slightly, though the gesture was indistinguishable from his normal composure.

"Perhaps. But we do not have the supplies to outlast the Violighters, and were we to permit them time, they would simply regain their strength." Mitsunari tapped his fan against his gloved palm a few times, eyes closed in an indiscernible emotion.

"Does anyone have another idea?" another silence descended the area for a short while, before Tadashi, having crossed his arms and begun looking around for some sort of inspiration, glanced at the Pokémon perched on his shoulder.

"Rather than go over the walls..." his comment drew the attention of the other Warlords. "Why not under?"

"Under?" Oichi's question echoed the unsaid sentiments of half the Warlords present, and Tadashi gave a nod in affirmation before turning to Mitsunari. The boy raised an auburn eyebrow in a strange mixture of curiosity and hesitation at the Warlord's attention.

"Masanori's Sandile knows Dig, right?" Motonari's eyes brightened at the question, while Mitsunari gave a reply in the positive.

"Tunneling underneath the walls?" the Warlord mused, a hand going to his chin as he glanced back down to the map in the sand. "Plausible, and more importantly; unexpected, but with only two Pokémon the tunnel would only be big enough to support a few warriors. And because of that, you will need a distraction."

Motonari drew a few symbols in the bleak ground near the diagram of the castle with the dead stick he held, presumably to represent the groups they would undoubtedly be divided into, while Hanbei gave a nod in agreement. "Yeah; the main group will assault the front gates to buy them enough time to dig into the castle. From there, they can distract some of the garrison to give us enough time to breach their defenses."

"Dosetsu Tachibana is leading the defenses..." Kazumi remarked, blue eyes downcast somewhat in contemplation. "We can't take any chances."

The grassy-haired man across from her chuckled. "While I am prone to agree, my Lady, his forces are not in the best of shapes either. Still; I feel it prudent to reinforce the fact that we must not underestimate our foes, either."

"Right," the male twin stated before turning back to the youngest member of the circle. "Mitsunari; go find Kiyomasa and Masanori. Oichi, you're with us too. I'll leave the rest to you, Motonari." The circle then quickly broke apart as the Warlords set about their tasks.

* * *

Ginchiyo's eyes narrowed as the sounds of the battle raged around her. Standing in the middle of the courtyard, arms crossed and warily eyeing the steel gates as the warriors atop it ordered their partners to unleash a barrage of Electric Type moves on the attackers, she gave the visage of a stalwart, and morose, guardian. While every warrior around her ran about to contribute to the defenses as various attacks flew overhead, the Warlord remained still, her mind probing over the situation. While she knew that the Aurorans were eager, and probably desperate, to end the battle (and them having suffered as many casualties as they did probably didn't help their enthusiasm), but a direct, all out assault on the front gates was far too blunt to possibly be their real plan. Though not as experienced as her father, she still smelled a Rattata. Now, the only question was what was it?

The armored woman let out a heavy sigh in response to her thoughts, running a hand through the part of her chestnut hair that was not protected by her maedate, frustrated at the prospect of just having to sit back idly while waiting for their true opponents to show themselves. Muneshige, standing next to her as the only other warrior not running amok around the courtyard and walls, let out a small chuckle at her behavior. She turned and eyed him exasperatedly, the small smile he wore doing nothing to lessen her glare, silently demanding an answer from her second in command. When he failed to reply, seemingly finding her attempt to intimidate him to be even more amusing, she finally spoke up.

"What's wrong?" he chuckled again, which only made her furrow her brow even more.

"You," his reply was nonchalant, as if he was talking about the weather instead of his superior, which surprised her even more. "You're a child."

His comment left the brunette speechless, mouth agape at his audacity, while he just carried on without a care in the world. "Evaluating your opponents after only one battle, rushing straight at their head tactician, and then waiting impatiently for them to show themselves just to rush headfirst back into action again..."

The Warlord trailed off after that, deciding it would be better for his health if he stopped after the third example, giving her one final smile, while Ginchiyo tried formulating a coherent response. "Y-You!"

She stumbled over her words again and this time Muneshige's chuckle became a bit louder, flustering her even more, before she formulated a response and recomposed herself. "I am by no means a child!"

The other brunette raised an eyebrow in mock curiosity. "Oh?"

"Yes! You and I are the same age!" the fact that his small smile had morphed into a full blown grin caused her words to die in her throat as she realized what he was doing, not to mention the irony of it all. She growled slightly, but crossed her arms and turned around so her metal-covered back and white cape were facing him, refusing to dignify him anymore.

"I believe you have other matters to attend to." the man chuckled again in his insufferable manner, running a hand through the edges of his hair.

"The wind blows where it will, Ginchiyo." the sounds of shouting and various attacks immediately being ordered from the western ward of the castle, which was most certainly not where the majority of the Aurorans were, drew the attention of the duo. The Warlord silently ordered the man to follow as she and her Luxio bolted off, his face hardening as he obliged. As they darted across the courtyard, finally joining in the panic around them, Dosetsu, from his place on the keep's balcony above, watched them go.

"The Aurorans have managed to dig a tunnel into the castle, sir," Dosetsu continued facing forwards as Shoun's report came only a few seconds later. "Lady Ginchiyo and Muneshige have gone to assist the western guard in repelling them. Should I send for reinforcements?"

"No," his simple reply shocked the retainer somewhat, while the aging man shifted his gaze down to the walls below. "Diverting more of our already thin forces to fight off a small group will only weaken our frontal defenses even more. The Auroran's main goal is the front gates; once they breach them the only thing left is the keep and us. And I have confidence that Ginchiyo and Muneshige will be capable of fending them off."

The semi-retired Warlord turned back around to the Warrior, who immediately snapped to attention. "How are the injured Pokémon faring?"

"As good as transferring electricity from one Pokémon to another will do, sir." Dosetsu frowned slight, placing a hand to his chin.

"Very well. Tell the warriors whose partners are unconscious that they may take leave of this battle. Focus our efforts solely on the ones capable of fighting; we will need every available Warrior and Pokémon if we want to overcome Aurora." Shoun gave a salute and quickly retreated from the doorway and back into the castle, while Dosetsu turned back around to watch the main battle unfold, lips pursing as he watched the Aurorans taking cover in the area outside the gates begin to advance.

"Perhaps I have underestimated you two..."

* * *

"I take it that's our signal." Motonari remarked with a small smile as a particularly strong streak of lightning, a misaimed Thunderbolt from his analysis, launched out of the western side of the keep and into the air before dissipating, evidence of the battle raging within the structure. He then turned to the two tacticians who stood closest to him, giving them a small nod, before shooting a look to his son across the road, crouched behind some form of cover like himself, and gave a small hand gesture. Takakage gave a nod in acknowledgement, before quickly standing up and motioning for the assorted warriors around and behind him to do so as well.

"Charge!" he yelled with as much bravado a boy his age could assert, causing the warriors around him to let out a roar in agreement before running into the barrage of attacks, ordering their partners to unleash ranged attacks upon the defenders in return. While bolts and arcs of electricity, streams of water and bubbles, and gusts of leaves flew overhead, more often than not clashing with each other than their intended targets, the three tactically-minded Warlords snaked through the chaotic warzone until they managed to creep up to the base of the metallic gates. Motonari made a brief note of how some of the metal seemed to be warped around the edges, as if someone had burned through the gate before and rebuilt it, but quickly put aside the thought as irrelevant to the battle.

"Servine; Sunny Day, please." the Pokémon cried out slightly and raised its small arms skywards, the storm clouds covering Violight parting slightly, letting a few beams of unfiltered, pure sunlight fall through and onto the ground. The sudden shift in weather seemed to distract some of the warriors on the walls, while Kanbei's Lampent chimed out pleasantly.

"Thank you," the albino turned from his tutor to the gates. "Now; Fire Spin."

The Lamp Pokémon shot out a spiraling pillar of flames at the metallic gates, the sudden and noticeable glow and heat of the fire drawing the attention of many of the warriors on the walls, only for them to be forced to divert their attention elsewhere as Takakage began ordering an increase in the attacks. Boosted by the weather, the fire attack easily began to warp the metal around the center, and Motonari raised a hand in signal for Kanbei to stop.

"Leaf Blade, if you would be so kind. And be careful of the heat."

"Use Iron Tail, Pikachu." the two Pokémon shot forward, both jumping up and bringing their tails down on the gates, the combined force of the attacks with their weakened condition causing the defenses to swing open with a violent snap of the metal bar reinforcing it. The three tacticians ran into the courtyard, a cacophony of shouted warnings behind around them, coming to a stop as the few unoccupied warriors in the vicinity began to close in on them. Motonari took a brief glance upwards, noticing Dosetsu looking down on him from the castle balcony. Their gazes locked for a brief moment, neither saying anything, until a shadow of a smirk managed to sneak onto the Violigher's face before he retreated back into the keep.

"Hanbei, Kanbei, could you please stall them?" Motonari asked, his eyes having shifted back to the doors of the keep only a few feet away.

"We'll better than that, Lord Motonari," Hanbei replied, he and Kanbei having gone back to back as their opponents closed in around them. The older man gave a nod in gratitude, quickly striding up to the doors while his Servine knocked them open with another Leaf Blade, while Hanbei's eyes went over the few opponents he had. "Agility, Pikachu!"

Motonari maneuvered himself through the unfamiliar setting he found himself in, going slowly enough to ensure that his steps were silent and he could remain aware of his surroundings, but fast enough that he would not look like he was taking a casual stroll straight through the heart of enemy territory. He turned a sharp corner, having been forced into it by one of the many undecorated stone walls that made up the spartan structure, and found himself facing an open arch that led into what appeared to be a training room, occupied by a noticeable amount of warriors. He and Servine entered, the Greenleafer taking note that almost all of the opposing Pokémon seemed barely fit to battle, save the Flaaffy belonging to the warrior in the center.

"I have to say," the Warlord commented as the warriors began spreading out around him in the somewhat spacious room, each far less confident in their victory than they let on. "I quite admire your resilience and loyalty. But, sadly, we both have our duties. Servine; Leaf Tornado, please."

* * *

Motonari sighed as he and Servine left the battle-worn room after a surprisingly quick battle, the futility of the Violighter's struggle both giving him an increased admiration for their loyalty, and the pointlessness of it giving him a mild headache. As the Greenleafer descended the stairs that led from the back of the training room and into a small garden, as he had suspected that this path would probably lead him to Dosetsu one way or another due to the centrality of it, his eyes fell upon what looked like a circular dais in the center of the plaza with a small, unoccupied pedestal atop. Both were jet black, interwoven with streams of gold, though the strategist's eyes caught what appeared to be darker patches of black blanketing the small plaza as if it had been struck by lightning.

"Took you long enough, Motonari." the grassy-haired man's eyes darted upwards from what he could only conclude was a shrine of some sort, eyes landing on the ex-Warlord of Violight and his Luxray standing in the archway opposite to them. The greying man descended, his Luxray close behind, coming to a stop at the other end of it while Motonari just chuckled.

"Well, you haven't exactly made it easy." Dosetsu smiled slightly at hearing that, feeling somewhat proud over the concession.

"I'd be ashamed if I didn't." with that said his face hardened again, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon behind him taking a few steps forward while Motonari's Servine did the same. Motonari extended an open palm, a polite gesture for his opponent to take the first move. Dosetsu raised an eyebrow warily.

"You've certainly changed since we last did battle..." the man let out a dismissive, inaudible sigh after that, focusing on the battle at hand. "No matter. Rain Dance, Luxray!"

With that command, the Electric Type let out a roar and the little sunlight that Servine had managed to conjure earlier was quickly chased away by clouds that were somehow even darker than the ones that habitually loomed over Violight, before they opened up and unleashed a torrent of water on the castle below. Motonari raised an arm in a futile attempt to shield himself from the downpour, only to sigh disappointedly and lower it when it became apparent that it would be useless, masking a grimace beneath a downcast façade.

_"Still using that same strategy? Well, I suppose I can't blame you, Dosetsu; I never did quite come up with an effective counter. Water may conduct electricity, but I believe that is the least of my concerns right now..."_

"Thunder!"

"Dodge with all due haste, Servine!" Luxray slammed it's forepaws down as it launched an alarmingly large bolt of electricity across the clearing, arcing over the platform and aimed directly at the Grass Type, who had barely managed to launch itself away in time using a Leaf Tornado. The Greenleafer took a cautious step backwards as the electricity crashed down near him, noting the searing heat it generated as a rather relieving contrast to the icy rain that was pouring down on them. But he pushed those thoughts out of his head; he knew Servine, fast as it was, would not be able to resist Luxray's relentless assault for long, especially at range. If he wanted to be victorious, much to his chagrin, he would have to be aggressive.

"Leech Seed and Leaf Tornado, please." The Grass Snake Pokémon launched out a few of the infamous yet inconspicuous brown seeds, before quickly generating another Leaf Tornado and launching it towards Luxray, the whirlwind obscuring the parasitical bulbs as it rocketed forwards, while Motonari's voice got considerably lower.

"Advance as well; be ready." Servine gave a nod, and covered by the clout of the combined attacks, slowly edged forwards while its opponents focused on the move barreling towards them.

"How clever, Motonari... Protect!" Luxray's pointed tail sparked slightly, before a wall of blue energy quickly went up in front of it, stopping the whirlwind and causing the seeds it carried to fall harmlessly to the ground, and dissipating before Luxray could register the lax Pokémon standing only a few feet away.

"Restrain it with Leech Seed!" the Grass Type shot forwards, closing the distance between itself and the towering Electric Type, immediately shooting out two more seeds at the Pokémon's forelegs.

"Jump, Luxray!" it was too late for the Pokémon to dodge. Combined with its opponent's overwhelming speed and the downpour of water weighing down its fur, Luxray only managed to get a couple of centimeters off the ground before the attacks connected, erupting in vines and immediately causing the Gleam Eyes Pokémon to lose its balance and fall down sideways. Servine continued darting around, unleashing Leech Seeds on the Pokémon until it was completely immobilized by the draining vines, much to Dosetsu's exasperated dismay. Both Motonari and Servine knew it was overkill to completely cover the Electric Type in the attacks, but having witnessed its strength firsthand, neither were taking any chances.

"Escape with Thunder Fang and show them our strength!" Luxray craned its head, opening its maw to reveal predatory fangs that crackled electricity, and bit down on the makeshift bindings in an attempt to rip them apart. Motonari frowned slightly, followed by a heavy sigh.

"Leaf Blade." his command contained no traces of enthusiasm, something his Servine picked up on as it crashed into Luxray's exposed head with the attack. The Electric Type turned from the vine and quickly clamped its jaw onto Servine's tail before it could retreat, eliciting a pained cry from it as electricity coursed through its body, before the Luxray flung the now twitching Pokémon skywards. Dosetsu's eyes brightened at the display.

"Now, Thunder!" before Luxray could unleash the attack on the still shaken Grass Type, the roots that had completely encased it glowed slightly as they sapped its energy, Servine echoing with it in response, and broke the concentration of the Gleam Eyes Pokémon.

"Come down on it with Leaf Blade." Motonari said wearily as his Pokémon managed to regain control of its descent. Servine tucked in its tail, spinning as it fell back to the earth before crashing onto the top of Luxray's skull with another Leaf Blade, and propelling itself off the Pokémon before it could retaliate, another flash of light following. Dosetsu grimaced, and Motonari took notice.

"Please, Dosetsu; for the sake of your partner and warriors, surrender. I do not enjoy having to do this." the strategist knew that trying to convince the man to surrender would be more difficult than getting water from a rock, but he at least wanted to try. The Violighter's reply did not surprise in the slightest.

"We would not be Tachibana, let alone self-respecting warriors, if we rolled over at the slightest sign of trouble!" the man seemed offended at the very notion, though Motonari thought he heard his voice shake for a miniscule second, and his partner let out a proud roar in agreement. "Thunder! Give it your all, Luxray!"

Motonari closed his eyes in resignation. "Finish this, Servine; Leaf Tail." The Grass Snake Pokémon deftly dodged the weak, last-ditch attack, and closed in on the Electric Type, twirling around and slamming its tail into the Pokémon. Luxray let out one last pained cry before relaxing, eyes closed as its head hit the ground. Motonari and Servine let out a collective sigh in relief while Dosetsu slowly approached his Pokémon.

"Being bested so easily... Ah, the shame. Forgive me, Luxray." the ex-Warlord whispered to his unconscious Pokémon before drawing the sword strapped to his side. With a simple flick of his wrist, the vines that had been binding the Pokémon were cut, and the man sheathed the blade before leaning down best he could to pet his partner.

"If it's any consolation, had your initial attack connected, I suspect our positions would be reversed." the man looked up slightly, his gaze baring no hostility or resentment against the Warlord, just a noticeable amount of disappointment.

"What now?" the downpour Luxray caused had long stopped, though both men were still soaked to the bone, and Motonari could still hear the fighting going on in the distance.

"Well..." the strategist began, a small smile forming on his face. "While I doubt the battle will end soon, neither of our Pokémon are in the best of shapes, so I suppose we could just catch up to pass the time."

Dosetsu let out a dry chuckle. "Fine, fine; to the victor the spoils and whatnot." The Warlord acquiesced with a dismissive wave, taking a seat on a small stone barrier a few inches away from his Pokémon.

"So, tell me this; how did you of all people end up fighting for the Otomo?" It was Motonari's turn to give a dry chuckle.

"Funny you should ask that..."


	21. Chapter 21

Ginchiyo grunted in frustration as she watched her Luxio's forepaws give out under it, collapsing after a well placed Dig from Tadashi's Eevee. Her grimace morphed into a scowl when she realized that she was the last one to go down, and judging by the relative lack of noise that a battle would generate anywhere else on the castle grounds, she was most likely the final member of their army to be defeated. And thus, she concluded; the blame of the defeat fell upon her. Again. She felt her blood boil at the thought, and the somewhat smug smile of the Warlord across from her as he cheered on his Eevee did little to help. She felt her hands ball up into fists, the corners of her lips tilting downwards, and her eyes narrow slightly, the continued realization of her loss making her stomach churn.

"Had this been a contest of blades, boy, the outcome would have been far different." she knew it was rather immature to say such, but she felt she needed some form of consolation. Defeat was a bitter medicine to swallow, and having it inflicted twice, having failed everyone who relied on her twice, made it all the more difficult. Had it been anyone else other than _him_ , even that unknown assailant, who was the victor, perhaps she could have at least accepted defeat with a measure of dignity, but Tadashi being the one to best her made it stinging to the point where it was impossible to swallow. And even then, perhaps it was a shallow consolation; she would have only better in terms of swordsmanship because he had never been trained how to use a blade.

Tadashi eyed her, obviously finding her indignation entertaining, but before he could say anything another voice, one Ginchiyo knew considerably well, rang out from behind the two Warlords.

"Now Ginchiyo, we lost. Accept our defeat with honor." she spun around at hearing Dosetsu's gruff voice, watching him slowly hobble across the courtyard to reach her, Motonari and his Servine following at a leisurely pace, when his wording sunk in. She let out a heavy, contrite sigh, armor clad shoulders slumping slightly and head titled downwards, feeling her resent over defeat become replaced with a heavy disappointment over failing her father, clan and kingdom. The brunette looked up as a hand landed on her shoulder, seeing the small, reassuring smile that her father would occasionally show.

"Don't let it way too heavily on you, dear; you and Luxio fought bravely and until the bitter end, and that alone is enough to make me proud." Ginchiyo felt a small burden fall from her shoulders at hearing that, but staring down at her defeated Pokémon, and then at the Warlord of Aurora across from her, who had been joined by his counterpart and head strategist, the feeling refused to subside.

"So what happens now?" her father's question echoed her own sentiments. She had been trained her entire life as a warrior, she knew nothing else. Would they be forced out of the kingdom they had known as their home, destined to wander Ransei until another Warlord found it within themselves to enlist their services (and her to accept)? It was both entirely plausible and likely, the Violighter reasoned; she wouldn't put it past Tadashi to do such, and since his family had ruled over Violight for as long as anyone could remember, until it was unexpectedly passed to her father, he had a halfway decent justification. But, to her surprise and, though she would never admit it, relief, it was Kazumi that stepped forward in response. Tadashi too seemed surprised, but said nothing, simply crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow in wariness.

"Well, I was thinking that you could become our family's retainers again." Ginchiyo bit her bottom lip at hearing the request, knowing better to voice any objections right now. Tadashi, on the other hand, was less restrained.

"What!? I-" he was cut off abruptly by his sister spinning around, her long ponytail snapping from the force of action, and immediately balked under the intensity of the glare she sent him. Satisfied with his acquiescence for the moment, she turned back around and gave a sheepish smile to the two amused Violighters. Dosetsu's smile faded quickly after, his free hand going to his chin.

"It would be ungracious of me to say no, and I do prefer having a roof over my head to being forced to wander around Ransei," Ginchiyo grit her teeth, but still bit her tongue at his acceptance. "So, what are your orders?"

"I was hoping you and Ginchiyo, Muneshige too, if he wants, would return to Aurora with us. Your ex-" Tadashi's head shot up, and voiced the very complaint that was running through the Tachibana heiress' head.

"Having Ginchiyo in our army is one thing, Kazumi, but I am _not_ sharing a roof with her-" if he had been more assertive when he voiced his protests this time, his sister's gaze had somehow become even more penetrating.

"If you are going to be an effective Warlord, Tadashi, let alone be able to fight alongside her, you're going to have to put this silly feud behind you and learn to cooperate with Ginchiyo." Tadashi let out a low growl in indignation, gritting his teeth, but said nothing else. Motonari, deciding that it would be a good time to intervene, cleared his throat.

"Aptly put, Lady Kazumi," the mild-mannered strategist shifted uncomfortably as he felt Tadashi's gaze land on his back. "Especially in light of the fact that we will have to rest in Violight for the day. I doubt the Pokémon will be able to handle the march back to Greenleaf, and it will give us the time to make the necessary preparations."

Kazumi gave a nod in agreement. "Right we'll leave first thing tomorrow."

"Shoun!" Dosetsu had turned back to the greater courtyard as he shouted, and the armored warrior had appeared within seconds. He gave a salute, and the Warlord motioned for him to relax. "I'm entrusting you with Violight in our absence."

Neither of the twins voiced an objection to his declaration, and Shoun gave a bow. "Yes sir, I won't fail you!"

Kazumi noticed her brother slinking away out of the corner of her eye, having nearly escaped into the crowd that was the combined mess of warriors from both sides occupying the courtyard, and quickly excused herself before giving chase.

"Tadashi!" he stopped as he heard her call out, turning around slightly just in time to see her run up to him. "Where are you going?"

He turned back around. "I'm not staying the night in that castle." The heaviness of his tone told her everything she needed to know.

"This isn't just about Ginchiyo, is it?" he stayed silent for a second, unmoving, before shaking his head and continuing his path.

"I'll be in the inn near the castle..."

* * *

It had been a few days since the three Violighters had arrived in Aurora, and matters had settled down into the normalcy Kazumi predicted they would.

"And I'm telling you; _I'm_ the Warlord, so what _I_ say goes!"

"And _I_ refuse to abide by fools, regardless of their status!" Tadashi and Ginchiyo were standing in the middle of Aurora's Throne Room, inches apart and staring each other down with murderous glares, looking ready to rip the other's throat out at a moment's notice. From her seat on the 'throne' on the left, Kazumi put a hand over her forehead as the shouting somehow intensified even more, both trying to outdo the other, having given up hope of being able to break up the two long ago.

It was not particularly common for the Warlords of Aurora to hold court; the relative size of their ranks made it somewhat unnecessary when they could just talk about it over dinner, not to mention the headache that was gathering everyone into one room and trying to get all of them to speak in an orderly manner. Now she had another reason to hate the practice. While she knew that the two were at odds, and probably would be for some time, she at least hoped they could remain civil while they discussed plans on invading Chrysalia. Somehow, in the middle of it all, her brother and Ginchiyo had both gotten distracted on some insignificant detail, and now had been arguing with each other about something completely irrelevant to the original topic for the past ten minutes or so.

And it had dragged on to the point that almost everyone had left the room: Motonari excused himself to make tea, Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori got bored and left, Kanbei muttered something about the assembly being an 'inefficient and gratuitous waste of time' and sulked out, Dosetsu had given up hope on being able to stop the two as well and went off to train, Naoshige said something about paperwork, and Takakage outright declared he was going to go read, which left only her, a mildly-entertained Muneshige, an irritated Hanbei, an uncomfortable Oichi, and two bickering Warlords left.

So, Kazumi just sat in her throne, face obscured by her hands, and waiting for one of them to faint from lack of oxygen so she could drag Tadashi away, wait for him to recover if he happened to be the one to pass out, and then kick him senseless for acting like a child in front of the entire army. It seemed that waiting would be unnecessary, though, as Hanbei's somewhat frustrated demeanor quickly gave way for a mischievous smile and impish gleam in his eyes.

"Just shut up and kiss already." perhaps it was how out of place the comment was, or the fact that it reminded the two Warlords that they had a captive audience, not to mention how revolting the very thought was to the two, or some combination of all three, but the entire room fell quiet. Both Tadashi and Ginchiyo's mouths had gone agape at the comment, Hanbei retained his smirk, and Oichi shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Finally, it was broken by Muneshige openly laughing at the entire ordeal, and followed by Kazumi trying, and failing miserably, to hold her own snickering at bay. Hanbei just leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head and smile getting wider, satisfied with his handiwork. Ginchiyo managed to recompose herself quicker than the Auroran she had been arguing with, shutting her mouth and hardening her gaze, before whipping her head around to the reluctant genius and her laughing subordinate seated next to him, glaring daggers at the latter.

"Do you find that amusing, Muneshige?" his laughter slowly decreased into a chuckle at her thinly veiled threat, but he still maintained his relaxed composure and signature smile.

"Perhaps. You are cute when you get flustered." his comment immediately caused her to become tongue-tied again, a barely noticeable blush spread across her cheeks as she stuttered in an attempt to come up with a reply, causing Muneshige to resume his silent chuckling and Hanbei to join in, before she crossed her arms and shook her head indignantly.

"D-Dismissed." the Violighter's smile grew somewhat.

"If you say so." the white-clad man stood and turned to leave, the edges of his maroon coat flicking as he walked away, while Hanbei took the opportunity to sneak out with him before Tadashi, who had been too busy enjoying watching Ginchiyo be so easily disarmed by her retainer, could remember what he had said. After they had left, Ginchiyo turned back to Tadashi, her gaze hardening somewhat with the silent promise that this was far from finished. He agreed with a dismissive sigh and an equally penetrating leer before the former Warlord of Violight left, leaving only three left in the room. Kazumi finally stood up and cleared her throat, having recomposed herself after a few minutes of laughing silently at her counterpart's expense, and Tadashi paled slightly when everything that had just happened sunk in.

"Brother, can I have a word with you for a minute?" the tone in her voice, as calm and sedated as it was, told him that she would not take no for an answer.

"S-sure..." he gave a nervous smile and slowly followed her out of the room and into an adjacent hallway, looking like a man walking to his death. Which he probably was. For a few moments, Oichi just eyed the way they had left nervously, hearing nothing, until a sudden commotion caused her to flinch.

"Ow! Wait, Kaz- OW! Okay, I'm sor- OWW!" the Auburn-haired girl closed her eyes and tightened the grip on her Pokémon at hearing the last one.

* * *

Kazumi tapped her knuckles on the wood of the door that led to Naoshige's office, the rasping noise echoing off the corridors.

"Come in." the Warlord opened the door, unsurprised to find the man sitting down at his desk with a mass of documents on it. She subtly shuddered at the thought of how much paperwork was involved in administrating a kingdom. He looked up, a brief flash of surprise taking his visage, and immediately set aside what he was doing.

"Good afternoon, my lady. What can I do for you?" Kazumi walked into the room, sitting down in one of the wooden chairs across from him.

"There's something that's been bugging me for a while about the tunnels, actually."

"I took the liberty to collapse the last one in case Hideyoshi tried to-"

"No, it's not that, but thank you for doing that." she began, nodding in response. "I was wondering how you knew about them in the first place."

"Takanobu tasked me with overseeing their construction back in the day." the Auroran replied, his tone unsually lightweight. The girl folded her hands in her lap, having had one question answered only for her curiosity to cause another to arise.

"Back in the day?"

"Yes, you see- Well, it might be easier if I start from the beginning." he quickly corrected himself, earning an intrigued look from the girl across from him.

"I suppose you can say it all started about two decades before you and your brother were born, give or take a few years. At that time Sorin had just become Violight's Warlord, and had a better knack for collecting money and art than he did Kingdoms. Our southern peninsula was caught in a constant struggle between Greenleaf and Ignis; Motonari at the time was just a retainer to the incompetent lord of the former; Yoshitaka Ouchi, and the later was ruled over by the once powerful Tsunehisa Amago. Aurora, at the time ruled by a man who didn't want to be warlord to begin with, was stuck in the middle."

Kazumi, being unfamiliar with most of the names mentioned, asked the most logical question she could. "What happened to them?"

"They died." Naoshige stated matter-of-factly, causing the atmosphere of the room to settle into an awkward silence before the older man broke it.

"Tsunehisa was in his eighties by that point, so it was not exactly a surprise, but Yoshitaka..." he then trailed off, probing his mind for details.

"To be honest; I'm not exactly sure myself. All Motonari had told me was that he had perished in a 'bizarre gardening accident', and that some of the other retainers informed him it was 'best not to look into it'." The twin shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"And one day, we woke up and our lord was gone. Everyone in Aurora just assumed he snapped under the pressure, ran off into the sunset, and Takanobu took over from there."

"And what happened to him?" Kazumi asked again hesitantly, already dreading the answer.

"After Motonari conquered Aurora, he left in disgrace with some of the army. Last I heard they became pirates." she was more confused by the first statement to be disturbed about the second.

"Motonari conquered Aurora?"

"Yes, he-" Naoshige was cut off by the sudden presence of Dosetsu, whose cane echoed off the walls with every step he took, and was accompanied by the subject of the girl's latest question following him at a leisurely pace.

"Eh? What are you boring the kids with now, Naoshige?" he gruff man asked.

"I was just relating to Lady Kazumi the details about Lord Motonari's rise to power." Motonari bit his bottom lip at that, not exactly elated at the news, while Dosetsu let out a hearty laugh.

"That was ages ago. Back in the good ol' days when I could walk on both legs, you still had a partner, and Motonari here was a heartthrob." Motonari blushed, gazing downwards while scratching the back of his grassy hair, clearly embarrassed with the other retired Warlord bringing up his past.

"Please; those days are behind me." the Greenleafer said with a haphazard chuckle, silently pleading with Dosetsu to not say anything else. Fortunately for him, it appeared that the conversation had become uncomfortable enough for Kazumi that she quickly left the room, looking like she had seen a ghost.

"Hm... I wonder why she left?" the grizzled warrior mused. It wasn't a wonder to the other two men why Gichiyo turned out like she had. Seeing as the female twin had left, and desiring to change the subject, Motonari spoke up again.

"I never would have thought all three of us would be fighting under the same banner." Naoshige put a hand to his chin, his impromptu history lesson having brought up a nagging question of his own.

"Motonari; there's something I have wanted to ask for some time as well," the Auroran began.

_"Oh dear..."_ the strategist in question thought, though his calm demeanor gave no hints to his internal concerns.

"What made you give up?" Motonari raised and eyebrow, as did Dosetsu, though for different reasons.

"Give up what?"

"Your ambition. You were the first man in over two hundred years to unite the southern peninsula. If you wanted to, you could have pressed onwards and unified Ransei before Sorin even had a chance to go beyond Violight. What made you stop and give up all the Kingdoms you worked so hard to conquer?"

Motonari's inward dread turned to sorrow, which manifested itself in an uncharacteristic frown. "Well, I suppose it was Takakage."

"Takakage? But he wasn't even born then." Motonari let out a heavy sigh in response to Dosetsu's comment.

"Yes." he replied both simply and forlornly, the implications of what he had just said slowly starting to sink in for the other ex-Warlords. The room entered into a tense silence for a few seconds that seemed to drag on forever, neither Naoshige or Dosetsu willing to break it.

"I loved her," the Greenleafer began, his voice seemingly deprived of the usual life it had. "For all the mistakes I made back then, I still loved her."

The man's breathing became unsteady, his voice shaky, and a weary, hollow smile crept onto his face. "Ruthless mastermind and doting father don't mix well. And she knew that. She made me promise I would-" Motonari then took a deep breath, trying to stifle the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. Finally he spun around, stopping himself from continuing.

"E-Excuse me..." he choked out before quickly walking away.

The other two stayed silent out of respect.

* * *

"So," Masamune began, standing underneath the shade of a tree in the courtyard of Avia's rebuilt castle, his eye going over his two lieutenants, lips pursed and arms crossed in bated neutrality. "Report."

Kojuro adjusted his spectacles as he produced a paper from inside his green coat. "The fliers have reported that they've witnessed warriors from Cragspur heading into Illusio incognito, usually bearing something."

The One-Eyed Warlord of Avia let out an amused 'tch', the corners of his lips curling upright slightly. "Ujiyasu isn't even trying to be subtle."

The Avian looked up from the note slightly. "Should I send this to Nobunaga?" Masamune's slight smirk dissipated, his face returning to a more neutral disposition.

"No... Not now. I want to-" he stopped abruptly when heard a few leaves behind him crunch. Magoichi and Kojuro both looked at him in confusion, clearly having not detected the disturbance, but that did nothing to deter the Warlord. He spun around, drawing his pistols and firing into the tree to the shock of the two warriors behind him. A lithe figure quickly dropped from one of the higher branches, landing gracefully on the ground at the base of the vegetation before snickering.

"You're going to have to draw faster than that if you want to get me, Masamune." the brunette rolled his eye and returned his firearms to his belt.

"Oh. It's just _you_ ," he remarked as mildly as possible before his voice dropped considerably. "And I wasn't even aiming."

Kunoichi stood up straight, putting her hands behind her head casually, while the Avian crossed his arms again. "What are you even doing here, Kunoichi? You know very well I could easily get on Nobunaga's good side by capturing you, and I have half the mind to." she giggled in response, walking up to him.

"You could," she began, leaning in a bit too close for his liking, their faces only a few inches apart. "But you won't."

He hated it when she was right.

Masamune narrowed his eye in irritation, and the female ninja just let a smile cross her dainty features. "And as for what I'm doing here... Maybe Lord Shingen sent me to spy on you, maybe I just decided to glue the doors of your castle together. Maybe both."

"You know, telling us you're spying on us pretty much defeats the whole purpose." Magoichi commented, one bent arm slightly extended to emphasize his point. Kunoichi pouted overdramatically in return, crossing her arms and taking a step back from a now slightly disheveled Masamune.

"You didn't seem to notice until Mr. Trigger Happy here decided to use me as target practice..." she muttered, before quickly recomposing herself and shooting the Warlord of Avia another mischievous grin. "Well... Lord Shingen might have asked me to deliver this, too."

She reached behind her back, causing Masamune to instinctively tense up, before she produced a small scroll from the back of her belt and extended it to Masamune. He eyed it warily, saying nothing as he eyed it suspiciously, before reaching out and taking it from the still silent shinobi. He then quickly spun it around and opened it in her face, fully expecting it to explode in a cloud of smoke or something similar. All he got was a deadpan stare from the brunette.

"It's a message, you dolt."

"I-I know that!" he shot back, spinning the paper back around and quickly skimming over it. "It just pays to be safe."

"Uh-huh." Kunoichi replied, leaning in again with another mischievous smile.

"Well, I know you like keeping _all_ your options open," she said, coyly raising an eyebrow, an action that caused the Avian's breath to catch in his throat. "So I'll just leave that with you."

Kunoichi then took a step back, her gloved hand quickly brushing over the side of her belt, before she disappeared in a sudden burst of smoke. Masamune, having quickly recomposed himself, eyed the spot she vanished warily, before glancing back down at the scroll in his gauntleted hands and beginning to read in full.

"Accursed vixen..." Magoichi failed to stifle a small laugh at hearing the Warlord's comment.

"You like her." it was the fact that it was a statement and not a question that immediately caused Masamune to spin around to face the mercenary, one of his pistols already drawn.

"Silence, imbecile!" Magoichi, knowing the teen had yet to reload, and thus was only in danger of being pistol whipped, just let his laughter become louder at Masamune's response. Even Kojuro let out a small chuckle.

"It would appear you hit a nerve, Magoichi." Masamune just growled, shoving the scroll in Kojuro's arms before pushing the two aside, muttering under his breath and storming back to Avia's keep. He extended his arms, fully prepared to slam the doors open, only crash into them and fall down. Neither of the retainers could bother to keep in their laughter that time.

* * *

Kazumi sat on one of the few stone benches in the courtyard, secluded underneath the shade of a particularly long tree branch from a nearby pine. Her shoulders were slumped, jawline resting in her palms as she stared down at the ground in contemplation, letting out a heavy sigh with a blink. She could hear Mitsunari, Masanori and Kiyomasa playing off in the distance, but aside from that, the courtyard was completely quiet and devoid of any life. So she thought.

"Why are you out here, Lady Kazumi?" she lifted her head at hearing the voice, seeing Hanbei approaching.

"I needed some fresh air." he chuckled slight at hearing that, a thin smile spreading over his face before he took a seat besides her. The two sat in silence for a while, Hanbei's face returning to a neutral expression as he closed his eyes, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back, and for a moment the girl next to him suspected he had fallen asleep. She sat back upright again, and he cracked open a purple eye.

"What's wrong?" she blinked, turning to face him.

"What?" he opened both eyes, his face maintaining an uncharacteristically serious disposition.

"You know what I mean. You're sad." she blinked again, somewhat surprised at the bluntness of his statement, and leaned against the back of the bench.

"How did you guess?" the hollowness in her voice showed no surprise over it.

"I could see it in the way you walked earlier. You're slower than usual, and your steps are heavier... Your shoulders are slumped too. The occasional sigh was also a big give away," his stoic veneer gave way for his characteristic smile that seemed to always find it's way onto his face, albeit more sedated than usual. "You're acting more depressed than Kanbei, to be honest."

The Auroran let out a small chuckle at his attempt at a joke. She knew he was just trying to cheer her up, though he didn't even know what she was sad about, and she thought it was rather sweet of him to be so concerned. But her faced hardened again as the thoughts returned.

"I've just... been thinking." Hanbei sat upright, somewhat disturbed over her evasiveness.

"About what?" he noticed she tensed up slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. He then opened his mouth again, about to backtrack and leave the subject untouched, assure her the he was in no position to pry, but the girl carried on with a somewhat shaky voice before he could.

"It's... been a while since I set foot in Violight's keep," he gave a nod in understanding. She just let out a mirthless chuckle. "And I thought it would be a good idea to face the ghosts of my past. I probably should have just gone with brother..."

Hanbei stayed silent, an unusual air of reverence coming from him as he gave another nod, while she shook her head, refocusing herself. "So, I went to his room."

The Ignite raised an eyebrow, and Kazumi quickly clarified herself. "Uncle's. Me and Tadashi never went in there often, but not much had changed that I can remember. What I immediately noticed, though, was that the walls were lined with clocks."

The sullenness of her voice implied a darker meaning to a seemingly mundane detail. "Clocks?"

"Yes..." her eyes glanced downwards for a second. "Uncle Sorin wasn't that old, but that didn't mean his death was swift..."

Her lips trembled slightly. "Slowly being choked to death by that disease... Being surrounded by a constant reminder of that, literally having to listen to your life slowly tick away... It just makes you think."

Hanbei grimaced slightly, putting up another thin smile and scratching the back of his head. "Aren't you a bit young to be thinking about those types of things?" Ironic, he mused, coming from him, but he was desperate to lift her spirits. Kazumi looked at him, clearly picking up on the desperation in his voice, something he had hoped would be unnoticeable, and gave a hollow smile.

"You're only a year older than me." his smile was a bit more genuine.

"So you figured it out, huh?" she gave a small chuckle, and Hanbei smiled slightly as he detected a small amount of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah," her usually vibrant eyes became crestfallen again. "Still, it's not like I can avoid thinking about it forever, Hanbei. We're both warriors; it's practically our duty to throw ourselves in harms way."

The boy in white and gold gave a small nod in agreement. "I guess that's why I want to be a strategist." It was her turn to need clarification.

He let a slight smile cross his features, happy to be able to both navigate away from the topic at hand and approach something less dark. "Well, Kanbei seems to think that all strategists are bad people. I guess I can see where he's coming from; it _is_ our job to orchestrate our opponent's defeat. But I also like to think that it's our job to ensure that we try to keep as many people on both sides from getting hurt as possible. So yeah; if I can help unify Ransei, that's well and good, but if I can keep as many people as possible from getting hurt, then I've actually done something worthwhile."

When he looked back at her, having been staring ahead towards one of the castle walls while relating his dream to her, the tactician was surprised, and happy, to see that Kazumi seemed noticeably less troubled than she had only seconds before. "That's a really admirable goal, Hanbei."

"It's why Hideyoshi 'hired' me in the first place. Deep down, I know Kanbei has the same goal; we just have different opinions on how to achieve it. Still, that's one of the reasons I follow you."

The female twin raised a thin eyebrow, somewhat confused over the last part of his statement. Hanbei was just happy to see he had managed to get her to focus on something else. "Follow me? I thought you joined us to become Motonari's student."

"Well, yes, I did," he agreed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "But though Lord Motonari was initially the reason I joined you, he's not the only reason I'm fighting with you. No; it's your ideals, too."

She folded her hands in her lap, looking at the raven-haired boy intently while he carried on. "I don't think you're fighting for the Legendary Pokémon. I don't even think you're fighting to unify Ransei. I think you're just fighting because you don't want to have to fight. And that's something I can fight for." by the time he was done with his explanation, he heard a few snickers coming from the Warlord sitting next to him, and he gave her a smile in turn.

"Thanks, Hanbei..." a small smile remained on her face as she leaned back into the bench again, "I needed that."

The two sat there in silence afterwards, Hanbei leaning back against the back of the bench, arms crossed, eyes closed and a small smile on his face, while Kazumi was left pondering a few lighter questions, primarily why her face felt flushed.


	22. Chapter 22

"Excuse me? Hanbei?" Motonari's muffled voice made itself known on the other side of the door to Hanbei and Kanbei's room, accompanied by a few knocks. Hanbei stood up from his desk, setting aside the contraption he had been working on for the past half hour, and hastily walked over to the door.

"Lord Motonari?" the Greenleafer's smiling face greeted him as he opened the door, before the tactician stepped to the side to allow him to enter. The Warlord gave a nod in recognition and entered, his eyes immediately scanning the room.

"I'm sorry about the mess." Hanbei commented, his eyes quickly gazing over his half of the room, which was a complete and utter wreck. The tactician in white raised an eyebrow when he thought he noticed one of the piles of paper shift on their own. To his surprise, Motonari chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, it's quite alright," the semi-retired Warlord said with one of his reassuring smiles before his voice dropped a few octaves.

"You should see my room," the man then turned back to his student. "You wouldn't happen to know where Kanbei is, by any chance, would you?"

Hanbei blinked, running a hand through his raven hair. "Um... I think he mentioned that he was going out to train with Lampent. He's probably in the courtyard."

"Ah, thank you," Motonari turned back around to leave, only to stop in his tracks and glance at the device Hanbei had been working on. It looked similar to a bow, with two limbs, string and even a few arrows lying about, but it had a rather wide piece of wood attached to it, riddled with various gears and mechanisms that drove into the limbs of the actual bow itself, leaving it looking rather clunky and unwieldy.

"Hm? Might I ask what that is?" Hanbei's head snapped back to his desk, eyes landing on the device.

"Oh," the Tactician's purple eyes brightened at the mention of the creation. "I've been trying to recreate one of those devices that the foreigners use to hunt."

"The arquebus?" Hanbei shook his head, crossing his arms and tapping his temple with his forefinger in thought.

"No, the one that they use instead of the bow." Motonari put a hand to his chin for a moment.

"The crossbow?" Hanbei gave a nod, while Motonari carefully picked up the weapon, slowly raising it to make sure nothing was loose, before lowering his gaze to the actual workings of the contraption.

"Yeah! I saw a pretty detailed sketch of one a while back, and wanted to try making one," his small, enthusiastic smile morphed into a frown. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get the proportions right."

The strategist looked over the device one more time before turning back to the tactician in white. "Would you mind if I borrowed this?" Hanbei raised an eyebrow in curiosity, before returning to a more neutral expression.

"Sure. I can't get it to work anyways, so you might as well take it." Motonari gave a nod in appreciation, looking back down at the device in his hands, before leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind him. Hanbei eyed his desk slightly before letting out a sigh, plopping back down in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.

"Oh well..." the teen then spun back around to his messy desk, brushing aside a few schematics and tapping his fingers against the wood for a few minutes in boredom. He spun back around again, sparing a glance to his Pikachu who was busy taking a nap on his pillow.

"Seems like you have the right idea, buddy..." the narcoleptic commented with a chuckle, only to get cut off with a yawn as he staggered over to his bed, not even bothering to get under the sheets as he fell face-first into the unoccupied part of the pillow.

* * *

Once again, the dining room found itself commandeered into a makeshift strategy room. The Aurora Twins, Motonari and Dosetsu were looking over a map of western Ransei which divided the kingdoms up by splotchy colors that bled over thinned black lines, which presumably used to resemble boundaries.

"So," Motonari began, placing a gloved finger on the scroll. "Chrysalia is, in addition to being the Bug Type Kingdom of Ransei, one of our region's most principal ports. This could give us the opportunity to use Fontaine and Greenleaf's navies to launch an amphibious assault upon-"

"I... don't think that'd be all that necessary, Motonari." the other three Warlords present looked up to Dosetsu, the greying man letting a slight smile grow on his face.

"Why not?" the older man turned to look at Tadashi after his question, letting out a small chuckle, before looking back down at the map.

"Well, let's just say the Warlord of Chrysalia is not what he used to be." both twins simultaneously raised an eyebrow, while Motonari sighed.

"That may be Dosetsu, but it would be imprudent to underestimate him as a result." this time the Violighter laughed.

"Motonari, I didn't even consider the buffoon worth the trouble of conquering. Frankly, I'm amazed the he's even still in power." Kazumi purser her lips slightly.

"Who are you talking about?" if she had been honest with herself, at hearing the two semi-retired Warlords conversation, Kazumi did not necessarily want to find out. The fact that the two men turned to look at her simultaneously, both eyeing her with a small amount of incredulity, did nothing to ease her foreboding.

"Yoshimoto Imagawa." it was made even worse by the fact they had spoken at the same time. Tadashi, on the other hand, blinked absentmindedly and ran a hand through his hair, clearly failing to recognize the name.

"Okay? What's so bad about him?" the male co-Warlord started to become a bit nervous as well when Dosetsu's face contorted into one of exasperated reluctance.

"It's... difficult to explain. Let's just say I think it would be a waste of time and resources to bring in warriors from the other Kingdoms, let alone undertake an amphibious assault. I would even say that we could take Chrysalia with just the warriors in Aurora." both twins looked to Motonari, who bit his bottom lip and glanced back down at the map in apprehension.

"Though I am inclined to advise against it... Yes; our forces here at Aurora should be sufficient." Tadashi put a hand to his chin.

"In that case, when should we leave?" Motonari let out a sigh in resignation before running a finger over a lighter line in the map that winded through various kingdoms, clearly representing a road.

"Well, if we left at sunrise for Greenleaf, and if the weather is decent during the trek through Violight, we should be hopefully able to reach Chrysalia by late afternoon."

"Alright then, we'll leave tomorrow. I'll let the others know." the female twin turned and left the room, Tadashi close behind, leaving the two older Warlords alone. The grassy-haired man looked back up from the map to the scarred Violighter across from him, who was beginning to hobble out of the room as well.

"Honestly, Dosetsu; I understand your reasoning, but underestimating an opponent is never something that should be encouraged." the Tachibana laughed.

"Motonari; even bringing all of Aurora's garrison would be a bit overkill." the Greenleafer sighed in acquiescence.

"Perhaps... I just feel it's setting a poor precedent." Dosetsu gave a nod in understanding, resuming his path. Motonari eyed his cane as he lifted it up and placed it back down with every step, the sound echoing off the walls.

"Are you certain you're up for the march?" Dosetsu blinked for a second, his face going blank, before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Ah, I'll be fine! It'll take more than a short stroll to do me in," the strategist smiled slightly, and Dosetsu developed a barely noticeable sheepish smile of his own. "Though... I would appreciate it if the youngsters wouldn't walk so fast."

Motonari chuckled, a hand going to the back of his head. "You know youth."

The ex-Warlord let out a small chuckle of his own. "Well, knew it." They laughed once more as filed out of the room themselves.

* * *

"Lord Tadashi?" Tadashi let out a 'hm' as he heard his name being called, turning away from the training dummy that was being battered mercilessly by his partner. He saw Oichi standing in the doorway to the training room, hands folded together and head tilted slightly downwards, bottom lip bit in apprehension.

"Hey, Oichi. Is something wrong?" she looked up at his questioning, quickly shaking her head.

"N-No, Lord Tadashi. I was just wondering..." he frowned slightly at her hesitation, accompanied by an eyebrow raised in impatient curiosity.

"Yes?" the girl quickly looked up, steeling herself.

"I-I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question, Lord Tadashi." the Warlord blinked in response, his Eevee trotting back to his side.

"Um, sure." he felt a strange sense of confusion and dread creeping over him, both coming from the reluctance of the auburn-haired girl.

"Why are you and Ginchiyo on such bad terms, my lord?" the Auroran flinched inwardly at her question, now fully empathizing with her reluctance over asking it. Granted, after that display a few days ago, he couldn't blame her for wondering either.

"It's... a long story," he was prepared to simply dismiss it as that, preferring not to have to relive the details, but at the memory of him unintentionally digging up a painful part of her past, the Auroran acquiesced with a sigh.

"Basically, it all started when we were kids," Oichi gave a nod in remembrance, while he crossed his arms and tilted his eyes upwards slightly. "I can't exactly remember how it started, but I know that we always tried to top each other in whatever we did. Come to think of it, though, I think that we used to be friends as kids..." Oichi's eyes widened slightly at hearing that, the only indication to her surprise that he barely managed to notice, too busy shaking his head. "Well, friendlier, at least."

"What changed?" Tadashi's gaze lowered back to the other Auroran at her quietly spoken question, before tapping his temple lightly, as if the action would be able to help him remember. His eyes brightened somewhat as the thought came to him, though he expressed the recognition with a sigh.

"It was her learning how to use a sword," Oichi raised an eyebrow at the response, and the male twin cleared his throat in response. "Uncle didn't see any reason to teach us what he thought was a dying art, so Ginchiyo was able to finally have something I could never best her at. After that, I remember I got a lot more competitive in everything we did, and she didn't let up either. Eventually we became... well, what we are now."

Though he was finished with his condensed explanation, the pink and white-clad girl's expression was no lighter than it was when she first entered. "You never learned how to use a sword, Lord Tadashi?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her question. Though her tone was completely neutral, bearing nothing more than an obvious curiosity over the fact, her clearly worried expression; eyebrows furrowed, head lowered, the corners of her lips quivering slightly, stance shaking somewhat, and brown irises boring into his dull blue with slight fear, told him that she was quite concerned over the fact.

"No. Why?" he noticed she shuffled in place for a moment, eyes darting down to the old floorboards of the room before slowly looking back up. It was clear something was weighing on Oichi greatly, but the co-Warlord of Aurora couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"I just- Um... Well, wouldn't it be a good idea to learn how to use one, my Lord? Pokémon may be the main way of fighting now, but..." Oichi stopped as she saw his gaze darken somewhat, quickly recalling that there was only one person in the castle who would be truly capable of teaching him how to use a sword, and perhaps more importantly, who she was. But his demeanor was gone as quickly as it had changed, and he looked back at her with a slight amount of gratitude.

"Thank you for your concern, Oichi. I'll think about it..." she gave a bow and quickly left, while he turned back to the battered training dummy.

* * *

As Motonari predicted, it was very late in the afternoon by the time the Aurora Army managed to arrive in Chrysalia. After a long trek spanning through the dirt roads and light woodlands of Greenleaf, to the desolate, lightning-torn plains of Violight, and finally the far more temperate grasslands of Chyrsalia, they at last came upon the city. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, reds and oranges beginning to chase away the light blue of the sky, but there was still more than enough daylight to proceed. Tadashi, by far the closest to their target, turned back around and waved for the small group behind him to follow.

"Does anyone find it strange that there aren't even sentries posted?" Tadashi remarked, his eyes immediately darting from one purple-roofed building to another before falling on the busy stone road. "There's no walls, no guards... no nothing. It doesn't even look like anyone is concerned about us."

True to his observation, the various denizens of the Kingdom continued about their daily business, clearly not concerned with the warriors now walking down the road, nor with the fact that they were essentially under attack, if they even realized they were in the first place.

"There _are_ only thirteen of us." Tadashi gave a non-committal shrug at Mitsunari's observation, gazing around for the castle, or whatever Chrysalia's equivalent of it was, while Takakage took stock of his surroundings.

"This feels... similar to Greenleaf, father." Motonari hummed in consideration, taking a better glance around the kingdom, from its many wooden buildings and bustling roads, to its occupied port and the shimmering water of the bay, to the greenery that adorned the various paths.

"Perhaps..." he agreed with a nod. "It does bring up a certain nostalgia, but I believe Greenleaf is less... lively." Ginchiyo cleared her throat loudly, drawing the attention of the other warriors.

"I believe that is where we need to go." all heads turned in the direction she had pointed at, finding a grotesquely glitzy castle situated on a small hill overlooking the port-city. Surrounded by what appeared to be a garden filled with stone statues of various Pokémon, the castle appeared to be composed of interwoven layers of purple and gold, the designs becoming increasingly complex with each floor, complete with what appeared to be two outrageously large fans made of solid gold extending from the sides of the main tower. Everyone wondered how they missed that.

The warriors turned and navigated themselves across the city, quickly crossing the pathway that led out of it and into the garden. The stone path they found themselves on winded through the greenery and stones, the trickling of a nearby fountain and the noise of their boots clinking against the material being the only sounds accompanying them. Kazumi balked slightly at the various statues that lined the pathway, which were a bit too realistic-looking for her comfort, shuddering as she suspected that one of them was watching her. She hurried along, quickly passing her nearby companions and crossing the red bridge that sat at the end of the path and led up to the castle gate, her brother raising an eyebrow and pursing his lips in concern. She shook her head and mouthed a silent reassurance, and the rest of their company walked up to the black material that made up the gates. The twins exchanged glances for a moment, unsure of what to do, before looking back at the assortment of warriors behind them. Hanbei just gave a shrug, Motonari smiled patiently, and Mitsunari extended an open palm and furrowed his brow as if silently chiding them for their hesitation. Tadashi turned back to the gate, and with only one option left, he raised his gauntleted hand to knock. Much to the surprise of everyone, the gates simply parted with a low creak as he tapped on them.

"It's not even barred!?" Mitsunari deadpanned in disbelief.

"I think I'm starting to understand what you meant, Mr. Dosetsu..." Kazumi muttered as Tadashi poked his head in through the small gap.

"We should not let our guard down in light of such; it could still be a trap." the somewhat dumbfounded tone of Kanbei's voice indicated that he was simply giving the warning out obligation. Kazumi pushed the side of the door she was nearby open fully and entered the courtyard of the castle, observing that it bore a striking resemblance to a bonsai garden, and was completely devoid of life. She raise a hand and gestured for the assembled Warlords behind her to follow as she took another step forwards, Tadashi pushing open his half of the gate and looking around the vacant space they found themselves in.

"Is there even anyone living here?" Hanbei commented, eyes darting between the actual keep in the center of the structure to the various sections of the garden surrounding it. Dosetsu sighed in response.

"There are," he affirmed with a hesitant nod, before his eyes fell on the doors to the purple building. "They probably just haven't noticed us yes."

As if on cue, every head in the courtyard shot to the side at the sound of a small leather ball bouncing against one of the rocks littering the garden, watching the yellow object tensely as it rolled to a stop. After a few more seconds of nothing else other than dead silence, the Aurorans began to trade confused glances before an aloof, high-pitched voice rang out from behind the corner of the keep the ball appeared from.

"Oh, Pokémari is so fun to play..." the voice was quickly followed by a figure strolling casually into their sights. Clad in ornate clothing and makeup, nearly as round as the ball he was chasing, and clutching two fans that had an eerie resemblance to the ones jutting out of the castle, the man looked more like a bad caricature than anything worth their time. But when a spherical, grey and red Pokémon hopped out from behind the corner in pursuit of the man, who turned around and let out a cheery laugh at it's presence, it became apparent that he was a warrior of some kind.

"Excuse us?" Tadashi waved his hands overhead to draw the attention of the duo. The man's head lazily turned around, beady eyes glancing over the group in a mild surprise that was seemingly mimicked by his Forretress. "Would you know where the Warlord-"

"Oh, look; guests, Forretress!" the man exclaimed energetically, the Pokémon behind him bouncing up and down in excitement. The pudgy man sauntered over to the wary group, an innocent smile on his face as he twirled the ball around in his hands. "Would you like to join me for a game of Pokémari?"

Everyone took a collective, incredulous blink at the man's offer, none of the Aurorans able to think of an appropriate response. But before anyone could turn down the man's offer, the doors to the castle's keep swung open, and an elderly man clad in various layers of purple robes marched out.

"Lord Yoshimoto!" Tadashi's head whipped back from the newcomer to the man in front of them, eyes widening in shock and the edges of his mouth curling downwards in an apprehensive disbelief, while Kazumi took a step back in shock. Yoshimoto, however, remained completely oblivious to the disbelief of his 'guests', and turned to the older warrior marching down the steps.

"Oh, hello Uncle Sessai! Would you like to join me and my new friends for a game of Pokémari?" Tadashi ran a hand through the back of his hair at the Warlord's latest question, struggling to keep his mouth from going ajar. Though Greenleaf had taught him to not take an opponent's appearance or attitude as an indication of their capabilities, and Violight and the prolonged conflict with Ignis had beat into him the importance of not underestimating opponents, it was nigh impossible for the white-clad brunette, or for many of the warriors around him, to not be in utter disbelief at what they were observing. And due to the heavy sigh and facepalm that followed from Sessai, something told him that this type of behavior was not unexpected.

No one knew if that made it better or worse.

Yoshimoto began bouncing the ball back and forth between his legs, raising one to keep the ball in the air while using the other to balance himself, all the waiting for the warrior to respond, only to miss the Pokémari ball as it fell back down and began to roll away. He let out a slight gasp in shock, and quickly ran after the ball, giving Sessai the opportunity to approach the Aurorans. Taking quick note of their varied reactions, he cleared his throat and gave a slight bow.

"I must apologize on Lord Yoshimoto's behalf," the elderly retainer began, his voice purposefully lowered. "He hasn't been... well ever since a battle many years ago." Oichi gazed downwards slightly, biting her bottom lip, while Tadashi crossed his arms.

"I can tell..." the co-Warlord winced as his sister's elbow made contact with his armor covered ribcage. The purple-clad Chrysalite in front of them just gave another bow.

"Please; I would appreciate it if you could just humor him long enough for me to gather the others." before anyone could respond, the man had ducked back into the castle, and Yoshimoto and his Forretress returned with their ball in hand. The Warlord of Chrysalia looked around for a few moments, his ignorant smile dissipating as he glanced over the invaders confusedly.

"Where did Uncle Sessai go?" the smile returned with a vengeance as his gaze returned to the group. "Oh well; at least we have plenty of other people to play with, Forretress!"

The Steel/Bug Type next to the man hummed happily, bouncing up and down a few times, and the Chrysalite reached out and grabbed Tadashi's wrist. The Auroran stepped back in shock, something that went unnoticed by the aloof man in front of them, and the Bug Type Warlord began marching back the way he came.

"Come along now; the field is this way, everyone!" Tadashi spared a hopeful glance back, silently pleading to his sister to intervene as he found himself walking behind the man to avoid falling and being dragged, only to see that she and the rest of the army were following, the girl managing to barely suppress her amusement over the situation. Soon enough, they found themselves within another open area on the other side of the keep, which was nearly covered in poorly cut stones that allowed the blades of grass underneath to poke between the gaps. Small ponds, well-maintained trees and bamboo balances littered the edges of what could be described as a small field, and Tadashi nearly tripped over a discarded Pokémari ball as he was led onto it. Yoshimoto let go of the twin and began motioning for what the various warriors could only assume was him attempting to tell them to form a circle, which they did hesitantly.

"Okay; now I'm going to kick the ball up, and the goal is to keep it in the air as long as possible." the ornately dressed Warlord explained cheerfully. Kanbei just buried his forehead in his gauntlet.

"This is demeaning..." After kicking the ball back into the air, not paying any particular care to where he had shot it, Hanbei leaned in.

"Just put up with it for a few minutes, Kanbei. I'm not a big fan of it either." the albino looked back down at the narcoleptic with an emotion the white-clad tactician couldn't quite place, only for him to shake his head and refocus on one of the last things he had expected to be doing upon arriving at Chrysalia. The ball fell back towards Ginchiyo, who simply eyed it scornfully, arms crossed and completely unmoving. Muneshige, standing much less tensely than her, quickly stuck out a foot to intercept the ball and launch it back into the air before it could land on the ground. He turned to the woman besides him, who merely raised an eyebrow at the attention.

"I refuse to partake in a game on the battlefield." the dandy chuckled.

"Lady Ginchiyo, I have a sneaking suspicion this game is very much the battlefield for him." Mitsunari, overhearing the two's short lived conversation, crossed his arms and kicked the ball back to Yoshimoto.

"And probably the only one he can win on..." Yoshimoto caught the ball on the pointed tip of his shoe, doing a short twirl on his spare foot before kicking it back up into the air, humming happily all the while.

"Lord Yoshimoto." most of the circle turned around towards the castle at hearing the Sessai's authoritative voice, seeing the elderly warrior, flanked by three others, standing in one of the side passages to the keep. The ball that they had lost sight of then promptly landed on Hanbei's head, eliciting a shocked cry and causing him to clutch his beret, before bouncing off of Kazumi's head, causing a similar reaction, and finally coming to a stop as it impaled itself on one of the edges Tadashi's golden maedate.

"Oh! Hello, Uncle Sessai! Have you and the others come to play with us?" the Chrysalite continued to smile vapidly, completely oblivious to the two Warlords nursing their head, the third trying to wrest the ball out of his headwear, his own retainer's hopeless expression, and the look of utter disbelief that was coming from Masanori. The advisor quickly recomposed himself, and spoke slowly.

"No, Lord Yoshimoto, nor are these warriors here to play with you either: they are here to battle for the kingdom." the Warlord's beady eyes blinked slowly, before he took a look around at the Aurora Army.

"Oh..." he muttered disappointedly, shoulders slumped and head downcast, tapping his fingers together, before quickly rebounding. "Well, perhaps they can join us for a game afterwards?"

"Perhaps, my Lord, but we should focus on the task at hand." Yoshimoto pouted, and slowly made his way out of the circle and over to the awaiting warriors. Tadashi, having finally freed himself of the offending object, gazed over the five warriors with scrutiny.

"Is... this all of your army?" Sessai gave a halfhearted nod, his purple hat shifting slightly.

"I'm afraid so." the teen's steely blue eyes ran over the group once more; noticing that, aside from Yoshimoto's Forretress and Sessai's Sealeo, the only other Pokémon present were two Venipedes and single Sewaddle. He blanched slightly, the brown Evolution Pokémon perched on his shoulder sharing in his hesitation, and the Auroran turned to his sister to see that she had a similar reaction to the revelation. She turned back to the warriors assembled behind the two of them; eleven in total, each showing an understanding of their line of thought. There were only five of them on the opposing side, and only one, who was not even the Warlord, appeared to be a genuine threat.

"Hanbei, Kanbei, Ginchiyo." the two tacticians quickly swapped glances before stepping forwards, while the woman gave a gruff acknowledgement and followed. The five warriors and their Pokémon lined up opposite to the Chrysalites, the twins on the ends, Hanbei to Kazumi's right and Ginchiyo to Tadashi's left, with Kanbei in the middle. Sessai raised an eyebrow at the sight before giving an appreciatory bow, the other three Chyrsalite warriors exchanging nervous glances while Yoshimoto continued to stare ahead helplessly.

"Um..." Hanbei began hesitantly, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that had descended over the small battlefield. "You can go first?"

He turned to look at the Warlord next to him, only for her to give him an indifferent shrug, while Kanbei let out a blasé sigh and shook his head.

"Okay then," the walking caricature across from them replied with a detached smile. "Gyro Ball, Forretress."

As the spherical Pokémon began twisting itself in preparation to shoot forwards, the warriors gathered around Yoshimoto immediately began shouting out their orders. The Bug and Steel Type barreled forward, obscured by a field of steely light, followed overhead by a barrage of Poison Stings and String Shots. Sealeo rolled up into a ball and raced forwards as well, quickly catching up to the Bagworm Pokémon with the momentum Ice Ball provided it. Kanbei raised an eyebrow disinterestedly at the onslaught: though they had all commanded their attacks simultaneously, there was no overall cohesion or synergy to them whatsoever. String Shot might have been effective had the large barrage of Poison Stings not encouraged them to spread out since they were all aimed in the same direction, and the latter still ran the risk of hitting one of their allies. The albino turned to look at his shorter counterpart, who simply gave a wordless nod in understanding.

"Stall them with Thunder Wave, Pikachu."

"Eviscerate this resistance, Lampent. Fire Spin." the Violighter eyed the purple barbs that were sailing overhead.

"Counter them with Thunderbolt."

"Aid Luxio with Shadow Ball, Eevee." Ginchiyo's steely eyes darted to the side for a split second at hearing the Auroran's command, before the corners of her lips curled upwards slightly. Tadashi, standing on the far right of the row of warriors, just looked down to meet his partner's hopeful gaze and gave it a shrug as attacks began to fly overhead. Shadow Balls and streaks of electricity effortlessly cut through the poisoned barbs sailing across the stone battlefield, while the low current of paralyzing electricity washed over the two charging Pokémon, rendering their movements awkward and clunky as they pressed forward, before enveloping the three Pokémon behind them. A torrent of fire suddenly erupted from the field, straight in the path of the charging Pokémon. Sealeo managed to skid to a stop before it rolled straight into the spinning hazard, but Forretress was too cumbersome to alter its path. To the surprise of everyone, however, the Pokémon had spun itself at such a pace, even slowed down by the status condition, that it managed to ride the edges of the Fire Type attack like a Flying Type would glide on a gust of wind, before shooting itself out of the twister and towards the opponents below.

"Dodge, quickly." Kanbei, despite the shock that had managed to overtake him at the ludicrous sight, managed to keep his voice even and indifferent when issuing the command. Lampent quickly broke off the attack, allowing Sealeo to resume its charge unhindered, and moved to dodge, only to have the edge of its rim-like head hit as the Bagworm Pokémon spun back to earth, sending the Dual Type spinning in the process. Hanbei frowned slightly, but his attention quickly shifted to the approaching Ball Roll Pokémon.

"Dodge with Agility and take it out with an Electro Ball." While Pikachu deftly maneuvered itself around the bulky Ice and Water Type, Ginchiyo had turned her attention to the Forretress that was now hurdling towards Luxio.

"Halt it with Spark," Luxio let out a roar and quickly crashed into the twirling Pokémon, and Ginchiyo's eyes narrowed slightly as she made out another barrage of purple points in the distance. "Bounce off it, and carry on to assist Pikachu."

Luxio did so, curling up into a ball as the initial momentum from colliding with the Dual Type began to fade, before pushing itself forward and taking advantage of its opponent's spherical shape to throw itself off. The Spark Pokémon landed a good few feet away, safely out of the range of the barrage of poisoned barbs which harmlessly bounced off Forettress' armor, before letting out a proud roar and charging forward towards Sealeo. Kazumi leaned forward slightly, capturing her brother's visage, and motioned with a short tilt of her head to the three opposing warriors in the back row. He gave a nod in turn.

"Quick Attack!" both the command and the charge of their Eevee were simultaneous, two brown blurs quickly barreling across the field and slamming into the two purple Centipede Pokémon.

"Fire Spin on Forretress. And aim to the center." Lampent had managed to stop its mid-air rotations and turn back to the Bagworm Pokémon, which had seized up as a result of the paralysis inflicted upon it, before looking downwards and unleashing another inferno upon the Pokémon. With that, and another bout of Quick Attacks upon the remaining and petrified Sewaddle, the battle was concluded as the final combatant fell unconscious. A pensive silence quickly fell over the area, which was shattered by Tadashi soon after.

"It... can't be that easy," the Auroran commented with a scratch of the back of his head, voice heavy with disbelief, before his eyes fell back on Yoshimoto, and he blinked hesitantly. "Can it?"

Hanbei gave an apathetic shrug. "Eh, less work for me and Pikachu."

Yoshimoto, on the other hand, did not seem to fully realize the real consequences of the battle. "Oh, the battle's over... Well, anyone up for a game of Pokémari?"

Despite the fact that everyone present had by now expected the question, it still failed to keep Yoshimoto from receiving a barrage of looks ranging from dumbfounded to deadpan, all of which he remained blissfully ignorant to. Sessai cleared his throat awkwardly, practically blushing from his lord's question, and somehow managed to draw the attention of the pudgy man.

"Lord Yoshimoto... since you have lost the battle, you are no longer the Warlord of Chrysalia." the man blinked, and Tadashi swore he heard the three other Chrysalite warriors let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Oh." his indifference quickly made way for shock as the truth finally sunk in, his eyes going wide and hands shooting up to the sides of his face. "OHHHH!"

He then looked down sadly, tapping his fingers together, tears beginning to form on the edges of his beady eyes. "Now where will we play Pokémari?"

The female twin heard at least three people smacking their heads at the comment, more than a few utterances, and a very heavy sigh from Yoshimoto's tired uncle. She gave a half, and very hesitant, smile out of pity to the man, fiddling with the edges of her white skirt in reluctance.

"Well, you don't _have_ to leave..." with those few words, Kazumi had managed to draw the full attention of both of the armies. Both Tadashi and Hanbei shot her bewildered, and almost frightened, looks, Kanbei had just raised an eyebrow, Ginchiyo seemed indifferent to the proclamation, and the pressure of more than a dozen additional pair of eyes began to bear down on her. She coughed uneasily, and turned slightly to the somewhat short wall that was overlooking the thriving city the best.

"I mean, you've seemed to do a good job of running Chrysalia," her eyes darted to the elderly Imagawa retainer in recognition as she said that, before returning to the ornately dressed man. "And making sure it hasn't been, um, conquered?"

The awkward smile that the brunette gave soon after was followed by Mitsunari muttering at a slightly more audible level. "Probably because no one thought it was worth the wasting the effort of conquering it in the first place..."

"So you would allow us to stay?" Sessai asked bluntly, alleviating the girl from having to carry on her explanation.

"If you want. Me and brother can't manage six kingdoms on our own." Hanbei adopted his trademark smile.

"Well, _Naoshige_ can't manage six kingdoms on his own..." he quipped under his breath to the ignorance of his adjacent comrades, while the Electric Type that had climbed back on top of his hat let out a small chuckle.

"Yes, we can certainly agree to that!" Yoshimoto exclaimed cheerfully. "Now, perhaps you would like to come inside and discuss things over tea?"

Another tense silence descended the area again, disbelief practically saturating the air at the Bug Type Warlord's latest comment. Even the purple-clad retainer standing beside him was too taken aback to comment. Surprisingly, it was Motonari who stepped forward this time, maneuvering himself around the line of shocked Warlords.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," he commented with a smile, crossing the stone field and approaching the man. "Sunset will be upon us in a few hours, anyways. Tell me; what type of blends do you have?"

"Oh, we have all kinds! Tea leaves from all over Ransei and even imported from the other regions!" while the two older Warlords walked back into the glitzy keep, enraptured in their discussion about the caffeinated beverage, the various warriors scattered about the field slowly regained their senses, gathered their partners, and followed apprehensively.


	23. Chapter 23

It was a foggy morning in Cragspur; most of the sunrise being chocked by the mountainous kingdom's vast peaks and the dense condensation hanging in the air, but a little bit of light managed to sneak into a naturally secluded alcove, on the edge of a small lake. With a crystal clear waterfront, the shade of multiple trees, and the songs of Flying Types still being chirped out above, it was a small paradise that anyone, most of all the habitually stressed Warlord of Cragspur, could get lost in.

Ujiyasu let out a contented sigh, leaning backwards against the stony appendage of his resting Gigalith. His eyes lowered to the fishing rod propped up before him; simple in design, a small bell tied around the wooden rod, and the line already submerged underneath the shallow lakeside water. It would probably be a while before he got a bite, given how close he was to land, which left him with plenty of time to rest his eyes and think. But that was why fishing was his favorite pastime; it gave him a good excuse to have his much sought-after peace and quite, as well as an isolated area where he could think up better ways to govern and protect Cragspur or solutions to current dilemmas. Such as the ones Nobunaga presented him with.

The Warlord scowled, closing his eyes and crossing his arms, leaning back even more against his napping partner. The Demon King presented him with multiple problems, all of them equally thorny, and even more so given Cragspur's current situation. The grizzled man let out a sigh in mild frustration some time later, sinking downwards after deciding that a nap would help with the thought process. The bell attached to the fishing rod jingled slightly, whereas he just ignored it in favor of sleep.

"I've got it."

"Thanks." the Warlord of Cragspur's eyes shot open a few seconds later. Fishing rods didn't talk. Ujiyasu sprung up, cane at the ready, only to immediately drop his guard when he saw Shingen releasing a Magikarp back into the water.

"What're you doing here, Shingen?" the masked Warlord let out a hearty laugh, while Ujiyasu sat back down.

"I came to talk to an old friend. Is it really that suspicious?" the scarred man frowned.

"When were on opposite sides of the line, it is. Now, why are you here?" the Terreran smiled.

"Because you never replied to my message after giving us the position of Dragnor's armies." Ujiyasu waved dismissively, wearing a small grin.

"You went through all the trouble of coming out here for that?" his face then hardened, and he leaned back.

"I didn't want to risk it since I've gotten reports my messengers are being trailed by the One-Eyed Fool's scouts. I've already been pushing it; the last thing I want to do is have Nobunaga bring down the hammer before we've managed to rebuild our defenses just because Masamune saw an opportunity to climb the social ladder." the Warlord in red gave a sympathetic nod.

"So, I take it you're in?" this time the Rock Type Warlord chuckled.

"Was there any doubt? I'd sooner be dead than sit by and let Ransei get conquered by someone like Nobunaga, let alone help him." Shingen snorted.

"And yet you're serving him." Ujiyasu whipped his head to the side, glowering irately at the masked strategist.

"In name only. I don't know why he spared me, but he's a fool if he thinks I'll just blindly obey like a Lillipup." the Terreran next to him put a hand to his chin.

"It's possible he wanted a counterweight to Masamune's ambitions. Besides; executing you would turn you into a martyr, and I don't want to see what that daughter of yours would have done in light of that." The man in black let out a dry chuckle.

"True, she is a feisty one. But I think there's more to this than that..." Ujiyasu's gaze darkened, his eyes glancing down to the water below, only to shake his head and raise his head again.

"But that's beside the point. We can't rush into this; the situation is tenuous enough that the slightest miscalculation can doom us all. Nobunaga knows that he can't go on the offensive right now; if he attacks he'll not only have to deal with you and Kenshin, but the possibility of me turning as well. And if I do, then Kotaro will probably join in for the fun of it, and then Masamune will follow once he sees the situation's in our favor. If he doesn't bring us, then he'll be overwhelmed by you two and fall into a pincer from me." the greying man gave a grim nod.

"Yet, if me and Kenshin attack or you rebel, we'll give him the necessary time to set up his defenses and repulse us. Using Cragspur as a beachhead would only be effective if it could actually function as a castle instead of a pile of rubble," the red-clad Warlord ignored the glare the Cragspurite shot him. "So, to put it bluntly; we're stuck."

Ujiyasu shook his head and slowly stood, leaning against his cane until he was straight up. "No, there has to be something we can do to turn the odds in our favor. The situation isn't going to improve if we fail to make any preparations and sit around and wait for something to happen." Shingen grinned at his comment.

"Look who's talking..." the Warlord ignored the barb, scratching his temple as he thought.

"Yoshihiro probably won't get involved if we asked; he'd want to take on Nobunaga alone... What about Chyrsalia?"

"Chrysalia?" Shingen raised a masked eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yeah. Send a few warriors to convince Yoshimoto to join us and then use it as a staging ground to send an expeditionary force to Valora. That should draw away-"

"I don't think that's possible." Ujiyasu spun around, slinging his cane over his shoulder.

"Why not?"

"It's already been conquered."

"Color me surprised..." the man remarked dryly before rebounding. "By who?"

"Aurora; they've managed to conquer most of the western Kingdoms as well. Speaking of Yoshihiro, he's probably next on their hit list." Ujiyasu grimaced, sitting back down.

"Then we'll need to come up with something quick if we want to make it out of this. The whole situation will swing in Nobunaga's favor the moment Aurora's stupid enough to attack you or Kenshin."

"I have an idea about how to deal with them..." Shignen muttered before standing up himself. "Anyways, Ujiyasu, this brainstorming session has been fun, but I have to get back to Terrera before anyone besides Yukimura notices my absence. If push comes to shove, I can always fake my own death to draw Nobunaga into attacking, but until it comes to that we'll have to wait. Kunoichi."

The namesake ninja dropped out of the tree Shingen was standing under, giving the other Warlord a quick bow before disappearing with her lord in a blur of red and black. Ujiyasu let out a tired sigh and returned to his fishing rod. "I was afraid you'd say that..."

* * *

"So, did you hear, Kanbei?" the laconic tactician striding besides the optimistic youth merely raised an eyebrow in idle speculation, certain that Hanbei, who was even more upbeat than usual, was about to tell him regardless of his reaction. "We've been given the rest of the month off!"

Hanbei practically beamed while he related the detail to Kanbei, throwing his arms upwards and letting out a contented sigh. Kanbei simply shook his head. "And I suspect you will waste most of your time trying to come up with better methods to waste it."

The tactician in white just gave him a deadpan look. "You're a riot."

"Regardless," Kanbei carried on, completely ignoring the comeback. "This is for the best."

Hanbei stopped in his tracks, this time a look of shock overtaking him as he found himself staring at the back of Kanbei's black, gold-trimmed robes. "What?"

"Yes," the Ignite reaffirmed, not breaking his slow pace to look back at his motionless counterpart. "It will give us the time needed to prepare for the inevitable conflict with Pugilis."

The tactician in white let out a depressed sigh, quickly catching up to Kanbei. "I'm not really surprised that's all you're thinking about Kanbei, but we have the rest of the month off! I even heard Lady Kazumi mention that they're planning on staying here to save ourselves the trouble of just marching back and forth between Aurora and wherever we have to go; and Chrysalia is one of Ransei's largest cities! Surely there's something you want to do here besides training."

To his surprise, Kanbei stopped in his tracks, a hand going to his chin as he gazed downwards. "I suppose... There might be something of interest for me here."

Inwardly, Hanbei's wide grin had returned, but he maintained a more curious gaze to the other Warlord. "Really? Where?"

Kanbei turned around, a small smirk overtaking his usually stoic features. Hanbei gulped.

* * *

Tadashi stood nervously outside the sliding door to what he had been informed was Chrysalia's neglected training room, listening to the sounds of stifled grunts and metal being bashed against metal echo through the wood. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and slid open the panel, taking a step inside the room. He was greeted by a very musty scent; most of the room looked to be covered in a layer of dust, no doubt having been gathered after years of obvious disuse, and an abrupt stop to the sounds that had managed to make their way into the hallway.

Ginchiyo had turned away from the old, battered training dummy someone had the sense to keep, being as the rest of the room was bare, that she had been hacking away at, warily eyeing the intruder. The two stood there in silence for a few seconds; each eyeing the other. Previously they had had something of an unspoken agreement when it came to training back at Aurora; whenever she was already training in the training room, he would turn back around and train in the courtyard, and vice-versa. That way they would avoid any unnecessary arguments, not to mention contact, altogether. So, naturally, the Violighter raised an irritated eyebrow when he failed to leave.

"What?" Tadashi blinked when he realized he had been staring at her for too long. He had been too busy transfixed on her; dressed in more casual training clothes instead of her usual armor and cape, bar her maedate, which he was almost certain she even wore when sleeping, she looked a bit less intimidating than normal. Almost pretty, even.

The Auroran felt like punching himself for even letting the thought cross his mind, but he settled with a reconciliatory shake of the head. The more he had thought about Oichi's words, the more he realized the necessity of them. Even if it meant swallowing every ounce of self-respect and dignity he had.

"I..." he began slowly, steeling himself. "Would like you to teach me."

He lowered his voice as he carried on the sentence, and Ginchiyo crossed her arms.

"What?" her own voice was restrained, either too baffled at the vague request to come up with another retort, or too surprised at who it was coming from. Tadashi, however, misinterpreted her reply.

"You heard me." the corners of her lips twitched in irritation as the woman fought back the urge to start another argument.

"Yes..." she began slowly, the level of patience that she was displaying towards the Warlord making him look down slightly. "But you failed to say what."

"Oh," he replied sullenly, a contrite expression breaking through his own façade before quickly vanishing. "I-I would like you to teach me how to use a sword."

Much to his surprise, rather than brush him off, Ginchiyo stood motionless for a few minutes, her steely gaze boring into him before she looked down in contemplation, putting a hand to her own chin. For a moment Tadashi thought a shadow of a smile crossed her features. "Very well..."

His eyes widened in shock, whereas her gaze returned to his. "But you must follow my every order without hesitation! Understood?"

The Auroran grimaced and grit his teeth. "Yes..."

He had a sinking feeling that she was going to enjoy this.

* * *

The archives of Chrysalia were perhaps the most famous in all Ransei; over a centuries worth of scrolls and tomes regarding all topics of scholarly pursuits had been collected by the Warlords of Chyrsalia from all over Ransei, and even beyond its borders in a few instances, and ultimately compiled into one opulent building in a more quiet part of Chrysalia. Though it was not the most accessible place; the information stored inside was obviously valuable and it was in the best interests of the Bug Type Kingdom if it was preserved, that did little to deter Motonari from accessing them. Currently, the man found himself seated at one of the tables laid out in the center, his Servine resting in the chair to the right of him while a stack of books and scrolls occupied most of his left, a small smile spread out over his face at the situation.

"Father?" Motonari looked up from the scroll he had buried his nose in, blinking as he made eye contact with Takakage.

"Hm? Yes?"

"Are your eyes okay? You're squinting an awful lot." Motonari just chuckled at the concerned question, smiling warmly once more.

"Though I'm glad to have son whose so concerned over my wellbeing; they're perfectly fine, Takakage." the Greenleafer looked unconvinced, and closed the book he was reading.

"Then read the title of this book." Takakage then held up the front of the book, which read _A History of Central Ransei,_ and Motonari's eyes silently scanned over it. The orange-clad blond frowned. "Aloud, Father."

"Um..." the strategist chuckled uneasily, running a hand through the back of his grassy hair as he examined the title, a look of apprehensive curiosity overtaking him as he opened his mouth. "The Mystery of Gentle Kanbei?"

Takakage just stared at his father in shock for a few minutes, unable to completely formulate the proper response for his misreading. Fortunately for the blond, a familiar laugh diverted both of their attention.

"Ah, this trip is already worth the walk," Hanbei commented, grinning as his laughter died down. Kanbei just gave a curt acknowledgement, not gracing the situation with a comment while the tactician in white turned. "Well, I'm going to go find a quiet place to read."

Of course, everyone knew that by 'read', he meant nap. Within a few seconds, Hanbei had disappeared behind a few bookcases, and Kanbei gave a curt nod to the two Greenleafers before departing himself, opposite of the direction Hanbei had taken. Takakage turned in his chair to face Motonari again, only to find that he had used the sudden appearance of the two to slip away unnoticed. The boy sighed.

"That one looks, nice. Don't you think so, Oichi?"

* * *

"It certainly matches your eyes, Lady Kazumi." the two girls were currently strolling through Chrysalia's Merchant Quarters, located near the docks for convenience, browsing various stalls overflowing with all sorts of merchandise as they walked along. But they had stopped at a particularly large shop, eyeing the various articles of clothing that were on sale, everything ranging from the more traditional kimonos to imported dresses. The one in particular they were talking over happened to be a royal blue, almost sapphire colored, dress both had spotted.

"Really? I always liked purple more, but..." the co-Warlord of Aurora replied, picking up the delicate hem of the garment and gazing over it. Oichi, her own brown eyes wandering over a pink dress, nodded in reply, while Kazumi readjusted her hold of the dress to get a better view of it. "I wonder what Hanbei would think about it?"

Oichi's head snapped back to the Warlord at hearing that, unsure if Kazumi knew she had or intended to say that aloud, but simply raised an eyebrow. While the two quickly resumed their discussion over the clothing, a pair of eyes watched them amusedly from a nearby café.

"Hanbei, huh? Of all the people... Well, I guess I was expecting Kanbei less, but still. Ah, never mind that now. It seems that Lady Kazumi is doin' well for herself." the gruff man sitting across from him, his gaze having wondered over to the duo as well, turned back.

"Should we engage them now, Lord Hideyoshi?" Hideyoshi waved off the question.

"Nah. Not right now, Koroku. We're still down two tacticians, and it'd be pretty rude to do it in the middle of the market. Speakin' of which, how's the hunt for new ones comin' along?" Koroku placed down the glass he had been drinking from, causing a few of the other items on the table to shake.

"We've managed to find two prospective ones, Lord Hideyoshi." The Monferno-like teen across from him raised an eyebrow, eyes wide and his mouth now filled with a pastry.

"You have!?" he then took the care to swallow before carrying on.

"Well, I'd like to meet them firsthand before we make any decisions, but good job." the burly warrior gave a nod, and Hideyoshi leaned back in his chair, staring up at the clear blue sky.

"Just you wait, rival, I'll be back. But until then; I wanna see just how far you'll go..." he continued staring upwards, completely oblivious to the movement around him.

"Good luck with that, Monferno."

"Thanks." his head snapped back few seconds after his lackadaisical reply, recognizing the voice. He caught the sight of Kazumi, holding the dress that she had been looking at, and Oichi making their way into the throng of people before disappearing from his sight entirely, giggling as they did so. Koroku held back a similar reaction while Hideyoshi groaned and buried his head in his hands.

"And I'll win your heart, too, Lady Kazumi..." the deflated Ignite let out a hopeless sigh as he concluded his half-hearted words, while motioning for the server to top off his drink. "Someday..."

* * *

Having finished reading over what he had come for, the youth in black went to go find his counterpart. The site that greeted him as he stumbled onto Hanbei might have been expected, but he still sighed nonetheless.

"Hanbei." there was no answer to Kanbei's verbal prodding. He frowned slightly, looking down at the tactician who had fallen asleep in the middle of a pile of books and scrolls he had picked out, face covered by a particularly think book that muffled his light snoring, while one of his legs was bent in an uncomfortable looking way over a small stack of tomes.

"Hanbei." the albino's unspoken demand to get up, this time uttered with a bit more assertion than previously, fell on deaf ears as well. Kanbei's slightly frowned deepened a bit, and he shook Hanbei's blue-covered leg in an attempt to rouse him. When that failed, the tactician's frown morphed into a scowl. He carefully maneuvered himself around the piles of valuable books Hanbei was using for a bed, and once standing at his side, tapped it to see if he was still breathing or not. When he was satisfied that the teen in white and gold was very much still alive, Kanbei delivered a swift kick that sent him upright.

"Now, Kanbei; there's no need to resort to that." the laconic tactician quickly looked around at hearing his mentor's voice, but the semi-retired warlord was nowhere to be seen. His attention was quickly drawn back to Hanbei, who was sitting upright, rubbing his smarting side while groaning.

"Yeesh, Kanbei! Was that really necessary?" Kanbei just stared down at him emotionlessly.

"An archive is no place to be resting, Hanbei."

"And I was having the best dream, too..." the narcoleptic quickly blinked when he realized what he had said, scratching the back of his head and growing a nervous smile. "Uh, I mean I was busy reading the most interesting book."

Kanbei glanced down at the worn, discarded tome that Hanbei had been using to cover his face. _The Joys of Advanced Algebraic Equations._ The albino shot him his signature deadpan. Before either could say anything, though, Takakage walked in on the scene. The boy shook his head at the two after quickly gazing at the both of them, but decided to ignore it otherwise.

"Have either of you seen father?" Kanbei gave a silent negative while Hanbei ran a hand through his black hair.

"Yeah; he said he was heading back to the castle."

"Thank you." and, with a quick nod in gratitude, Takakage turned and sped off, his orange coattails quickly disappearing around the corner. The purple-eyed tactician watched where he had been for a few moments before looking over his shoulder.

"He's gone, Lord Motonari." much to Kanbei's surprise, said man's head quickly appeared from behind a nearby stack of books.

"Thank you, Hanbei. Though I don't particularly savor resorting to this, Takakage can be a bit too... overzealous, at times." Hanbei chuckled.

"Still, he's right, you know." Motonari gave a nod, and stood up fully.

"Yes, I suppose so..." Motonari's eyes glanced down at the stack of books he had been hiding behind, his usually clear eyes seemingly clouded over as a silent debate ran through his mind, before the strategist tore his gaze away.

"If you'll excuse me, I believe I have some business to attend to." Motonari gave the duo a resigned nod and walked away himself, leaving the two alone. The black-clad youth turned back to Hanbei, surprised to find the usually laid back teen shuffling through the various books around him.

"Now I know I placed it around here somewhere..." his purple eyes landed on an open book that had been placed atop of an adjacent stack, and Hanbei's smile returned as he grabbed it and turned back around to face his counterpart.

"But I wasn't lying when I said I was reading a really interesting book, either, Kanbei." he lifted up the book, thumb between the pages and his hand on the leather spine, enabling the albino tactician to read. The Ignite raised an eyebrow, lips parting slightly in disbelief.

"You're..."

"Yep! I have a few weeks off, so I figured why not?" Kanbei shook his head.

"Hanbei, I fail to see how such a device would be practical, let alone safe." Hanbei just maintained his smile.

"Ah, c'mon Kanbei, have a bit of confidence in me! I happen to be a genius." the other tactician retained his stoic disposition.

"And not a very wise one, at that." Hanbei pouted dramatically, giving a lighthearted punch to Kanbei's shoulder, who simply rolled his eyes but said nothing else to deter him. Both of them knew, even if Kanbei would never admit it, that he was also curious to see how something like this would turn out, even if it was only for the likely-disastrous aftermath. But the tactician in white would take what he could get. Hanbei closed the book and tucked it under the loose sleeve of his somewhat loose coat, and, gesturing for Kanbei to follow, took his leave as well.

* * *

Ginchiyo circled her newfound student like a hawk, eyes going over every aspect of his stance. He was now dressed in a similar outfit to her; plain blue trousers and a white tunic that would allow for ease of movement. His shoulder were straight, arms bent as he held the wooden practice blade she gave him center, between his eyes and tilted outwards slightly, a single foot slightly ahead of the other. She continued pacing around him, almost in the manner a caged Persian would, eyes scrutinizing every detail while the Warlord remained silent and unmoving, a sense of impending dread building in him with every passing second. Inwardly, she gave a slight nod of approval; though she had only begun teaching him the basic stances a few hours ago, he was a quick learner.

But he was still a beginner. "Heel up."

Tadashi winced as he felt her own wooden blade make swift contact with his calf, biting down on his bottom lip to keep from saying anything that might cause him more pain, and lifted up his back foot without any verbal complaint. She continued observing his stance, the boy becoming more nervous with each passing second as her scrutinizing gaze bore down on him.

"Feet apart." Tadashi blinked, and made the mistake of questioning.

"What?" the Violighter frowned, steely eyes narrowing.

"Your feet are too close together; an opponent could easily knock you over." to demonstrate her point, she flicked her wrist, shooting the blade she held outwards. The next thing Tadashi knew was he was staring up at the ceiling, groaning in pain, while reaching for the back of his head.

"Get up." it was command, and when Tadashi tried to lift his head only to let it drop with another pained groan, Ginchiyo sighed. She reached down, and with her spare hand, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and effortlessly lifted the Auroran back up. The woman took a step back as the Warlord tried to reorient himself with his surroundings, letting out another pained groan as he felt the bruise beginning to form on the back of his skull. She tossed the brunette the training blade that he had dropped when he was swept off his feet, but instead of reaching out and catching it like she expected him to, though, he opened his eyes a few seconds too late and was hit in the forehead with it.

The ex-Warlord frowned as she watched him stumble back and fall down again, this time shooting out his arms so he would land on his back instead of his head, and silently shook her head.

_"What have I gotten myself into?"_ Tadashi wondered as he sat upright, trying to avoid eye contact with his newfound teacher out of fear that she would somehow read his thoughts through it.

"You lack focus." the Warlord grit his teeth at the comment, silently exhaling a frustrated breath. But he was determined to prove her wrong, and he reached for the blade that had slipped out of his grip once more.

Though Tadashi was tempted to retort as he got back up to his feet on his own, out of fear of getting whacked again, and a desire to better himself, he bit his tongue and just gave a bitter nod in agreement, reassuming his previous stance, and taking care to put a bit of distance between his feet. The Auroran's eyes had narrowed slightly, refusing to focus on anything other than the task at hand, regardless of any complaints from his aching body. Ginchiyo's frown made way for surprise at his sudden change in temperament and acquiescence, and she moved to stand next to him.

"But you are willing to learn," her tone was far less harsh than it had been a few seconds ago, though it still commanded respect, and a shadow of a smile managed to break out on Tadashi's face as she drew her own blade. "So do so."

A while later, as Kazumi happened to be walking down the hallway leading to the occupied training room, she noticed Muneshige leaning against the open doorframe of the room, silently watching the occupants with a small smile.

"Hey, Muneshige." he returned her greeting with a silent nod, eyes darting to her approaching figure for a moment before retreating to the room. Curious about what he was watching, she quickly joined his side and stepped back in shock at the frightening sight that lay before her.

"A-Are they..." Muneshige chuckled at her question, though not loudly enough to alert the two, who were all the way on the other side of the room and too engrossed to notice them.

"Working together? Yes," he replied, watching intently as the two went through basic cutting techniques, the sounds of their swords slicing through the air ringing out through the dusty room. "At first I had no idea what managed possessed Ginchiyo, but I think I want it to stay."

"Whatever it is, I think it got to Tadashi too. He's actually following her." the female twin whispered back in wonderment.

"It would seem so. They even have matching uniforms." Kazumi smiled faintly and giggled at his comment, only to stop and listen as Ginchiyo corrected Tadashi's grip on the hilt of his blade, the Warlord complying without any complaints.

"Yeah... But I think we should leave them be, Muneshige." he gave a short bow to her as Kazumi moved to leave, her smile becoming a bit more prominent.

"You're proud of him?" she raised an eyebrow at the debonair warrior's comment, having fallen into stride next to her, and returned it with a nod as the two rounded a corner.

"They're making progress..."


	24. Chapter 24

Morning came soon enough for the semi-retired Warlord of Greenleaf, and with it, his morning cup of tea. The man was usually the first up shortly after dawn, and prided himself on such, so it came as a bit of a surprise to the mossy Warlord when Kazumi, not yet fully dressed in her usual armor, walked into the meeting hall of Chrysalia clutching a small pile of letters only an hour or so after he had awoken.

"You're up awfully early today, my Lady."

The twin's blue eyes rose from reading over the messages gripped in her hands as he addressed her, eyes flickering with recognition.

"Yeah," the brunette began, stifling a mélange of a yawn with a smile. "Chrysalia is just so tranquil... I've been getting some of the best sleep I've had in a long time!"

The man raised an eyebrow. "You don't sleep well, Lady Kazumi?"

"Hm?" it took the girl a few seconds to process the question, probably due to how early in the morning it was, but she replied with a simple, if not slightly dismissive, shake of the head. "Not really. But I'm fine, thanks for the concern."

Her eyes then wandered back down to the paper in her hands, and her face lit up once more.

"Ah, sorry; I wanted to give you this," she shifted through the small stack before finding the desired item and handing it to the strategist, who accepted the usual message from Greenleaf with a smile.

"Ah, thank you," as he undid the wax seal that bore the symbol of the Kingdom that the letter originated from, managing to pull out the paper inside in the process, the man also reached inside his orange coat and pulled out a pair of spectacles, quickly donning them as he scanned over the contents of the note. Kazumi raised an eyebrow.

"Readers?" his eyes glanced back up after her question, and the Greenleafer scratched the back of his head, the Warlord's signature sheepish smile spread across his face.

"Sadly. One of the consequences of aging, I suppose."

"You're not that old, Motonari," the strategist let out a chuckle that time, looking back down at the paper in front of him.

"It's rather surprising, if not a bit refreshing, to hear that coming from one as young as you are, Lady Kazumi. But I appreciate the sentiment regardless."

The co-Warlord gave a respectful nod and left the room at a slightly sluggish pace. The Auroran passed by Ginchiyo in the hallway immediately adjacent, giving a silent nod to her as they passed each other, the Violighter doing the same before coming to a stop outside the Meeting Hall. The woman put a hand to her chin at noticing the occupant inside, mulling over a thought before deciding to enter. Kazumi carried on down her path until she turned a blind corner, colliding with a mass of black before falling down.

"Forgive me for my inattentiveness, my Lady," Kazumi looked upwards to see Kanbei standing above her, a hand extended. She gratefully accepted it and was effortlessly lifted back to her feet with a surprised yelp on her part. The tactician gave a slight bow and moved to the side, only for the Warlord to clear her throat.

"Actually, Kanbei, there's a few things I want to ask you."

"Of course."

"Thanks. But I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone," the albino raised an eyebrow at her request, but simply gave another nod as the two turned the corner.

* * *

As dawn turned to mid-morning, most of the Aurora Army found themselves standing outside in Chrysalia's courtyard, gathered around the shady plaza that had served as their impromptu battlefield with Yoshimoto not too long ago. Chatter filled the air, and yet very few of them could figure out exactly why Ginchiyo had thought it was a good idea to challenge Motonari to a duel. Even less could figure out why he had accepted. But, regardless, they found themselves outside, crowding around Mitsunari as they began placing bets. The boy, having donned a green visor underneath his large headdress, and clutching a pencil and notepad, grimaced as the clamor became a cacophony. Unable to understand everything at once, he threw up his hands in frustration and motioned for the mass of warriors around him to go one at a time. Predictably, Takakage was the first to go.

"I don't think father would approve of me gambling, but I put eight on him!" Mitsunari tipped the end of his pencil in the blond's direction before writing down his bet.

"I'll place five on Mr. Motonari..." Oichi chimed in, her voice almost a mumble.

"I'll second that with two," Kiyomasa commented, crossing his arms warily as he caught Hanbei's smile.

"Fifteen on Lord Motonari, please," the tactician in white turned to his counterpart in black. "What about you, Kanbei?"

"It would be frivolous," the Ignite countered with a dismissive wave of the hand. Mitsunari found himself muttering in agreement with the other tactician while the writing tool danced across the paper in his hand. The narcoleptic sighed.

"Fine. Thirty then," the raven-haired teen then noticed the large amount of incredulous looks he was receiving, but waved them off with a question of his own. "What about you Muneshige?"

The brunette chuckled at the tactician's attempt to throw him under the caravan, retaining his unruffled disposition. "I think I shall abstain, thank you. This is one bet where I would lose regardless."

"Twenty on Ginchiyo."

Every head quickly turned in the direction of the male twin, not more than a second passing before Muneshige's mouth went agape, Dosetsu's shock became visible, and Kazumi openly pinched her forearm. Tadashi just looked down slightly, shaking his head in response to the display. Mitsunari cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the crowd back to himself.

"Right, if that's all then," the boy in red looked around for confirmation, only to be met with a tense silence. "I think they'll be arriving soon."

It had not been two seconds after the boy had finished his statement that the sounds of clinking metal met the ears of most of the gathered warriors. They turned back to the keep to see Ginchiyo and Motonari standing on the porch that led down into the garden, both coming to a stop at seeing the unexpected crowd. Motonari only smiled while the Tachibana heiress next to him raised an eyebrow at the display, Mitsunari quickly stuffing the notepad inside his coat as her steely eyes fell on him, before shaking her head and descending the stairs, one of her hands firmly on the hilt of her sheathed practice blade. The Greenleafer followed soon after, arms folded behind the back of his coat, and the two made their way onto the now vacant square.

"Shouldn't you do something to stop this?" Kazumi whispered to Dosetsu, both watching with a sense of foreboding as the two Warlords lined themselves up opposite to each other. His response was precipitated by a resigned sigh.

"I'm afraid this is for the best, Lady Kazumi," she was left wondering who this convoluted duel was going to benefit. And though the thought of putting down her foot as co-Warlord and calling it off crossed her mind, she had enough trust in the older man that what he said was indeed accurate. Both turned back to the dueling grounds when they heard Ginchiyo slide her sword out of its sheath, lifting it overhead and then leveling it perfectly center in front of her face. Motonari, his small smile refusing to budge, produced what appeared to be a gauntlet with a trio of arrows built into it from behind his back.

"Wait... Is that-" the grassy-haired man nodded in Hanbei's direction.

"I hope you don't mind, but I made a few changes," he remarked, latching the vambrace onto his arm before returning his attention to the woman across from him. "Now, I don't believe it will be necessary to reiterate the terms?"

Ginchiyo shook her head in the negative, while a few members of the crowd began whispering at his comment. The Greenleafer gave a nod in return, extending an open hand, while the woman's face hardened.

"Have at you!" the Violighter rushed forward, her blade having been pulled back into a defensive stance slightly above her head, the tip pointed in Motonari's direction, while he remained motionless. The woman's sprints were as quick as one befitting her area of specialization, and within the span of a few seconds she had nearly closed the gap between them, while the strategist remained completely motionless and unfazed even as the echoing sounds of her heavy steps grew closer.

"How do you expect to win if you won't even move?" the question, if it could truly be called that due to the demanding inflection of the Violighter's voice, preceded her bringing down the wooden blade on the man by mere seconds. Ginchiyo noticed a faint glimmer of something in his usually placid gaze, and with a speed that easily outmatched hers, he threw up his gauntleted arm to block her overhead strike. She blinked in response to the seemingly implausible swiftness the strategist just demonstrated, given his laxness only moments prior, but that was the only indication to her disbelief she would allow.

"We shall see," the near-disinterest in his voice, combined with his blithe smile, was more than enough to make her scowl and take a slight step forward, applying more pressure into their deadlock. And unlike the unnamed opponent she had fought against, this time she felt the Greenleafer's arm start to buckle from the additional pressure, and it showed more visibly in the man having to take a slight step back to maintain his balance. Motonari, eyes quickly darting to his outstretched arm, straightened his block and caused his opponent's blade to drop downwards for a moment, giving him the time needed to take a step back and parry her rebound aimed at his side. Ginchiyo retracted her blade and then thrust forward, the lunge aimed square at Motonari's unprotected chest, to which he barely managed to sidestep in time.

"My; your alacrity is admirable," the woman in question quickly shifted her grip on the hilt into that of a backhanded one, twisting her hips to bring the sword upwards, only for him to dodge with a slight duck once more. But Ginchiyo refused to become dismayed or frustrated; for one she knew that losing focus would only result in a repeat of the previous time she fought someone in person; though, much to her chagrin, she realized she could not outmaneuver the man, she was confident in her ability to outlast and overpower him, if his short sidesteps and lack of any offensive movements were any indication. And if she became sloppy by allowing anything to go to her head, taunt, compliment or otherwise, then that would give him the time needed to take advantage of his unforeseen dexterity.

So she reared her arm back and took a wide swipe towards him, forcing him to take a larger step back than usual. Her eyes darted to the tree behind him, and then the castle wall behind that. If she could force him into a corner, Ginchiyo mused, then that would deprive him of his only advantage. Her attacks became wider, more powerful, forcing the man back in the direction she wanted with each swipe. A barrage of slashes in his direction quickly followed, the woman swinging her sword out with more force each and every attack, moving fast enough to barely give the other Warlord enough time or space to take a step back to avoid, let alone alter the direction of the battle. The attacks became more and more frantic and frenzied, Motonari becoming more and more pressed to parry and dodge, and leaving him less time to think, until he looked out of the corner of his eyes to take quick stock of his surroundings.

_"Too little, too late,"_ Ginchiyo thought to herself as the man bumped into the castle wall. She brought her sword overhead one last time in a slash at his shoulder, the silence that had fallen over the garden becoming unbearably tense. The mossy Warlord remained unfazed by the sight, quickly raising his arm to block her swipe with minimal effort. She grunted and pressed into the attack more, only to find that this time he managed to hold up. The Violighter, pressing even further into the deadlock, suddenly found herself conscious of her ragged breathing. Her eyes widened and she took a quick glance down to her footing, missing the glint in Motonari's eyes. She realized her own mistakes, both in planning and execution, and that the Greenleafer had been the one leading her the entire time, but it was too late.

Motonari twisted his arm, breaking out of the deadlock before pointing the gauntlet straight at her. His free hand quickly darted to the mechanism atop it, and the trio of arrows suddenly flew out, burying themselves in her violet spaulder. Though the projectiles had, fortunately, gone no further than the metal, the impact of the attack, combined with her own lousy footing that had resulted from her onslaught, forced her to stumble back for a split second. That was all the Grass Type Warlord needed. Taking a quick step forward, his open hand shot out and slammed into hers before pushing it upwards, forcing her to let go of her blade. Releasing his grip on the woman's wrist, the Greenleafer deftly caught the falling weapon while Ginchiyo stumbled back due to the extra momentum from his push, falling down on one of her armor-encased knees and quickly looking back up, only to be met with the sight of the tip of her own blade a few inches away from her face. The two Warlords remained motionless for a few moments, before Motonari lowered the weapon and ran a hand through the back of his head.

"Well, that was fun," the Violighter stared up at Motonari incredulously as his smile returned, the man shifting his grip on the sword before lowering it to her so she could take it by the hilt. She, begrudgingly, grabbed it and stood back up, while the crowd around her erupted into a torrent of more indistinguishable chatter.

"Had you not exerted yourself so much in your offensive, I feel that the match might have gone your way," she shook her head indignantly, gritting her teeth as she returned the blade to its sheath.

"I do not need your patronization!" he hummed in response, and her face softened into one of contriteness. "But thank you for humoring me."

"It was no trouble at all; this was a nice change of pace. But I do trust that you shall honor the terms?" her face hardened once again, rosy lips pursing as she crossed her arms, only to relent with a resigned sigh.

"Yes..." she lifted her head to look back at the strategist. "What is it you want me to read?" he brushed aside the edge of his coat, revealing a very thick, leather-bound tome that was strapped to his belt. Her visage changed from penitent to exasperated as he moved to unlatch it.

"You- You brought it with you?"

"Of course," when he finally handed the book to the Violighter, she nearly dropped it both out of its weight and the revelation. Ginchiyo's gaze fell down to the cover, and her look only became more hopeless. Motonari nodded in approval.

"Yes; seven hundred years worth of Greenleaf's history, meticulously researched and compiled. I would appreciate any feedback you would have to offer to me about it."

The very life seemed to drain out of her steely eyes, mouth ajar in a futile attempt to find comprehensible words as she continued to process the information, her usually daunting voice now completely despondent. "Seven... Hundred... Years..."

"Of history," the Warlord clarified happily, before turning and beginning to walk back to the keep. The woman swore that, had he been physically capable of it, his smile would have become a smirk by this point.

* * *

Currently, the training room found itself being used by its two most common occupants, though this time one was sitting down on a chair against the wall, nose buried in a book, while the other sat on the floor and polished a sword. Tadashi rolled his eyes at the menial task his mentor had set upon him, having played off polishing her sword while she read as part of his training, but made no outspoken objections out of fear of what other tasks she might pile on him if he did. Rather, he simply looked over his shoulder after getting a glimpse of his reflection in the metal.

"How's the book?" she blinked and then looked up, quickly remembering his presence before her face hardened.

"Drier than Kanbei's personality," Tadashi was about to turn back to the weapon beneath him when her comment registered. His eyes widened, and he quickly turned back around to see her engrossed in the book again.

_"Did she just make a joke!?"_ the Auroran then shook his head and returned to his work, dismissing it as his ears playing tricks on him. The room would have returned to the silent state it had been in if Ginchiyo had not decided to continue.

"But I cannot possibly fathom how anyone could suffer to read through this! The time wasted on this luxury could be much better applied to more practical uses," her eyes glanced downwards, looking at the Electric Type happily napping at her feet in slight envy. Her eyes then wandered over to the only window in the room, letting a few rays of light trickle in, and spied Yoshimoto kicking a Pokémari ball back and forth in the courtyard.

_"Even that would have been a more merciful fate..."_

"You still have to honor your agreement with him," Ginchiyo looked back irately at the brunette, who involuntarily shuddered at the intensity of her gaze, only to let out a tired sigh and close the heavy chronicle.

"Why did you bet on me?" Tadashi tensed up for a second, only to relax when he realized her voice bared no malice, and he set aside the blade he had been working on for the past half-hour to stretch his arms.

"I was confident you would win."

She blinked at his admission, sitting in silence and mulling over his reply, while he looked over his shoulder again in confusion. "Was that wrong?"

Though his tone was jovial, and a smile made its way onto his face, the Auroran quickly remembered who he was talking to, and braced for her reply as his comment shook her out of her reverie. "Wha- No!"

To Tadashi's surprise, Ginchiyo took a breath after that outburst, and her voice became level again. "No. I... I'm merely surprised at your faith in me."

Though her reply was diplomatic, the tone of her voice had given away the actual meaning of the words to the Warlord.

_"Did she just... thank me?"_ the white-clad teen's thought was accompanied by him shifting away from her by an unnoticeable distance, thankful that he was still facing away so the Violighter could not see the distress his mien had fallen into. The room descended into an awkward silence after that, and with neither knowing what else to say, Ginchiyo returned to her book while Tadashi returned to his task. Neither were particularly happy with them.

* * *

Shingen let out a hearty cheer as he felt the wind run through his hair, grinning triumphantly as the Rhyhorn he was riding on charged through the finish line, entering the second lap of the race. The Terreran threw up an arm and let out another laugh as he barreled past Kenshin, his Gallade, Yukimura and Kunoichi, in a blur of red and grey, the four watching from behind the safety of an old, rickety fence that surrounded the track. Kenshin only crossed his arms and shook his covered head in disapproval at the display, while the Pokémon behind him remained emotionless.

"I cannot comprehend how nemesis can indulge in such frivolities at a time like this," Kunoichi rolled her eyes, turning to face the white-clad Warlord.

"C'mon, Lord Kenshin! It's possible to train and have fun at the same time," the man looked at her in muted disbelief, but the ninja only smiled. "Speaking of which; I think I have somewhere to be."

Without any warning, the black-clad girl quickly disappeared in a sudden cloud of smoke, Yukimura covering his nose and coughing while Kenshin just adjusted his cowl and turned back to the course. The Psychic Type Warlord's black eyes followed Shingen as his mount rounded the curved edge of the track, passing by a straggler and giving a wave to the cheering crowds watching from the stands before charging underneath the banner that marked the finish line once again, the sharp sound of a horn ringing out seconds later. The warriors slowed their grey mounts down as they neared the finish line, falling into a triangular formation as Shingen turned his Rhyhorn around and led them back towards the stables. The chatter and cheer of the spectators still hung heavy in the air as they began to vacate the stands, while Kenshin and Shingen's red-clad protégé made their way around through the back.

"You're too fast for us, Lord Shingen," Yukimura raised an eyebrow at the retainer's comment, which was quickly echoed by the others. As the trio finally moved around the stalls, he could make out the Warlord of Terrera, surrounded by the other warriors he had been racing against. The man's Rhyperior was leaning against on the walls of the stall, eyes closed and bulky arms crossed, but quickly shot open as it heard the sounds of the two Warriors approaching. The Drill Pokémon gave a nod in the direction of the two, before closing its eyes as Shingen let out another laugh.

"Nonsense! I'm just some old man; Rhyhorn is the one you should be congratulating here," the Warlord placed a gloved hand Spikes Pokémon's side for emphasis, eliciting an agreeing snort from it.

"But that's enough racing for one day, lads," the warriors quickly filed out of the stalls after Shigen's conclusion, while the Warlord raised a masked eyebrow at the two approaching Warlords.

"Hm? I could've sworn Kunoichi was with you..." Yukimura blinked at his muttering.

"What was that, Lord Shignen?"

"Eh? Nothing," the Ground Type Warlord replied, having quickly deduced the likely cause of her absence. "Anyways, Yukimura, why don't you give it a shot?"

Shingen shifted over to the side, gesturing to the Dual Type that was listening disinterestedly. Yukimura's disposition remained neutral, the warrior pushing aside lack of experience in riding Rhyhorn, let alone in general, and gave a bow to the Warlord before proceeding to awkwardly get on the Pokémon.

"All right! Go slowly now, Rhyhorn," the masked man then gave a slight tap to the Spikes Pokémon's side, and it slowly lumbered out of the stall before picking up pace as it got onto the track. Shingen nodded in approval before turning back to Kenshin, who looked as sullen as ever.

"What?"

"Racing at a time like this?" the Terreran only smiled in response to his gravelly voice.

"It's good training for the Pokémon, and everyone gets to have some fun," Kenshin only shook his head in response, folding his hands behind his back.

"Battle is a joy in of itself, nemesis," the Gallade behind the Warlord of Illusio nodded in agreement, while the latter noticed Yukimura gradually picking up speed.

"I don't think everyone can maintain your nonchalant outlook on warfare, Kenshin," Shingen looked downwards, eyes narrowed slightly and lips pursed. "Still; I long for the day where racing and battling can be enjoyed for the sake of themselves. When the people won't have to constantly live under the shadow of an invasion. When Ransei will finally be able to have peace."

The Illusite nodded in approval. "That is why we continue to fight, nemesis. Our honor shall see us through."

"Perhaps, but what then? We outlast everyone, divide Ransei between the two of us and then settle it from there? That didn't work out so well the last time we tried that, and Ujiyasu had to knock some sense into both of us. Or do we just let things go back to the status quo and nothing changes?"

"The right path is rarely the clear one," Shingen let out a dry chuckle.

"That it is. I just wonder if-" the Warlord's voice was quickly overpowered by a quick series of loud stomps that sounded more like boulders crashing against each other, followed by Rhyhorn shouting out its name and a startled yelp.

"What in blazes!?" the Terreran spun around while Kenshin remained completely unfazed, both observing Rhyhorn laying down near one of the corners of the arena, and Yukimura not too far away; his head buried in one of the bales of hay that lined the corners while he struggled to free himself. Shingen sighed.

"I should be keeping a better eye on my students..."

* * *

"Finished at last!" Hanbei stepped back from his creation, having finished tying it to a tree atop one of the hills near Chrysalia, brushing his hands against his white coat and eyeing the oversized lantern in front of him with a certain pride that did nothing to assuage the fears of the other tactician next to him.

"I still fail to see the practicality for such a... device?" the raven-haired Ignite grinned.

"It'll be very practical given the upcoming harvest festival, Kanbei! I'll even let you have it after the festival, if you want," the albino raised an eyebrow at his offer, but quickly shook his head.

"If it even survives until then."

"Please; I built it!" Kanbei deadpanned.

"That's not reassuring," the tactician in white crossed his arms, his expression having fallen into one of slight disappointment.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." the Ignite ignored the barb, moving around the perimeter of Hanbei's latest creation as he observed the admittedly fine craftsmanship with greater scrutiny.

"I am still surprised you managed to muster up the funds necessary for the construction of such a contraption, let alone the energy."

"Well, I got Oichi to help me with the bulk of it, so it didn't cut into my busy schedule that much," the reluctant genius' counterpart just let out a weary sigh, turning around and beginning his descent of the hill Hanbei had made him march up.

"Just ensure that you are willing to take responsibility for whatever disaster you will undoubtedly unleash with this."

He was too far away to hear the fitful coughs that followed soon after.

* * *

Mitsuhide let out a sigh as his eyes darted back and forth between the near-barren walls of the strategy room, before returning his attention to the other generals. The Nixtormite cleared his throat, which failed to be heard over the chatter that had engulfed the dreary room, before doing so again a bit louder, only to be met with the same results. Frowning, this time he opened his mouth.

"Has anyone seen Lord Nobunaga?" perhaps he had asked the question a bit too loudly for his tastes, but he succeeded in drawing the attention of the three other Warlords gathered in the room. To the blue-clad man's surprise, though, the answer came from behind him.

"Lord Nobunaga has left the castle grounds to train with Zekrom," most of the commanders in the room shifted to look at Ranmaru, who standing a few feet away from the doorway and had entered as Warlord of Nixtorm's voice triumphed over the idle cacophony. "And has sent a representative in his place."

Mitsuhide frowned slightly at the page's declaration. _"Ranmaru is clearly not referring to himself, and everyone else who Lord Nobunaga might trust with such is already here, so who is he-"_

As if to answer his unspoken question, a deep voice echoed out from the hallway behind Ranmaru. "Hydreigon."

The boy in white and purple quickly stepped to the side, and the Brutal Pokémon slowly floated into the room, purple slits quickly going over the shocked expressions of the various Warlords. The Dual Type smiled at the assembly and gave a short bow, something that completely unnerved the Ice Type Warlord, before floating down to join them at the octagonal table they had crowded around, Ranmaru in tow. Everyone stayed silent for a moment, all eyes upon the Pokémon, before it snorted in irritation and gesticulated for Mitsuhide to begin.

"Right..." he replied awkwardly with a cough, turning stiffly to face the map-covered table. "The circumstances are so; we are-"

"Hy, Hydreigon. Drei gon," Mitsuhide blinked and turned to look at the Pokémon in confusion, who had waved one of its lifeless head-arms at him dismissively.

"Hydreigon is already aware of the situation, Lord Mitsuhide," Ranmaru clarified. Mitsuhide quickly recovered at hearing the boy's explanation, realizing that if anyone would have been able to understand the Hydreigon besides its partner it would have been the page. "But it would like to know what you plan on doing meanwhile."

"Lord Nobunaga seems to believe that patience is the best course of action."

The Pokémon only let out a deep, guttural laugh at his reply. Mitsuhide spared a nervous glance towards the other generals; Ieyasu could only give a sympathetic, and equally confused, glance in return, No remained apathetic, and Katsuie utterly unfazed, before his attention was drawn back to the Brutal Pokémon as its laughter abruptly stopped, the Dragon's face settling into an eerie, emotionless calm. It floated from behind its place at the table, moving in front of him before leaning in, eyes narrowed and fangs bared as a low growl escaped its throat. The Nixtormite unconsciously gulped.

"Hydreigon..." Mitsuhide shifted uncomfortably underneath its gaze, silently wishing he had brought Lapras.

"Hy. Drei. Gon!" the Pokémon shouted out, poking him in the chest with every name-based word for emphasis, before floating back around, leaving a now thoroughly rattled Mitsuhide in its wake and returning to his place at the head of the table. Ranmaru blinked when he realized that all eyes were on him, silently demanding, and simultaneously dreading, an explanation.

"Umm... Yes. Hydreigon says that's no excuse for complacency-" Ieyasu's eyes went wide.

"Complacency!?"

"It's... a loose translation," Ranmaru commented, a small blush spreading over his cheeks as he tried to avoid the gaze of the Warlords while Hydreigon let out a dismissive sigh, before continuing. "And that you should focus on making preparations."

The room fell into another shocked silence after the page's latest extrapolation, Mitsuhide struggling to find the proper words, while the other generals were content to leave that to the Nixtormite and just stare either warily or incredulously at the Pokémon. Hydriegon, however, seemed satisfied with their reactions.

"Hy," the Dual Type remarked in a sickeningly cheerful voice with a matching grin, followed with another bow, only to turn and float out of the room. Ranmaru give a much more sincere bow to the Warlords, while mouthing a silent apology, before trailing after the pseudo-legendary. The four watched the doorway the two exited through uneasily, none of them saying anything for a few minutes after the duo had left, until Katsuie let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the table.

"The Pokémon's right," No smiled coyly at his comment, a finger going to her chin, while Mitsuhide and Ieyasu exchanged confused glances.

"Oh?"

"Lord Nobunaga spends nearly every waking moment training," the balding retainer clarified. "We have these meetings once a week; the rest of our time is spent administrating."

Mitsuhide shook his head. "It's not as if all we do is rest on our laurels either, Katsuie."

"The blade of a Valora Warrior never dulls," the steel-encumbered man commented before turning to face the gruff Warlord. "We would not be deserving of our titles if we lacked the fortitude to bear them."

"And does that deter Lord Nobunaga from seeking greater strength?" Ieysau let a small frown creep onto his face at the retort, suddenly gaining an interest in the map next to him while Katsuie continued. "Even if we have remained diligent, I cannot say the same about our army as a whole."

"Then what do you propose?" the Warlord closed his eyes at the Ice Type Warlord's question, crossing his arms as he contemplated.

"Increasing the amount and size of the patrols in the south would be the best place to start," the Valoran nodded in agreement, Mitsuhide shifting slightly to avoid the blade that protruded from the top of his helmet.

"I can send Hanzo to keep an eye on the southern kingdoms as well... There are some unsettling rumors originating from Cragspur."

"I do not believe Lord Ujiyasu would abandon his word so easily," the three turned to look at the Nixtormite, his comment having elicited a chuckle from No.

"You were always a bit too naïve for your own good, Mitsuhide," the man in question frowned at her comment, eyeing the purple-haired woman disappointedly, only for Katsuie to put his fist down on the table, drawing the attention of both.

"Now is not the time for such," his usually gruff voice was laced with the authority that came with having decades worth of experience, and Mitsuhide gave a half-hearted nod in agreement. The aging man turned to look at the Warlord of Spectra, who was clearly entertained at how quickly the Ice Type Warlord capitulated, but also gave an obligatory nod.

"In addition to the patrols, I want the two of you to oversee mock battles between our reserves," Katsuie ignored the silent plea he got from the Warlord of Nixtorm, and turned to the Steel Type Warlord. "Assist them if they require it, but otherwise carry on with your regular duties, Lord Ieyasu. That concludes this meeting."

The other three Warlords gave their acknowledgements before leaving, Mitsuhide's steps particularly heavy as he departed, while Katsuie returned his gaze to the table.

* * *

The green-clad Warlord of Avia let out a soft snore as his head tilted slightly, unconsciously sinking back against the large tree he was using for support as he, in the words he would have used to any nearby witnesses who questioned him about the topic, 'rested his eye'. Masamune's reprieve was abruptly interrupted as the muted sound of footsteps greeted him, the brunette's eye shooting open as he instinctively unclipped one of his pistols and pointed it straight at the figure now crouching before him. Kunoichi, in her usual blitheness, was completely unperturbed by having the barrel of the trigger-happy teen's dueling pistol inches away from her forehead, and simply shot him a smile.

The Avian groaned and returned his weapon, crossing his arms and leaning back against the sole tree in the courtyard. "What is it now, Kunoichi?"

Her grin refused to subside as she reached for the back of her belt, pulling out another scroll and holding it up to him. "Just another message from Lord Shingen."

"Give me that," Masamune muttered as he snatched the scroll out of her grip, hastily unrolling it.

Only to be met with a burst of smoke.

Later that day, back in Terrera, the ninja swore she could still hear his angry yelling.


	25. Chapter 25

Perhaps it was simply a result of the anticipation, but to many of the current occupants of Chrysalia's castle, the days seemed to drag on longer the bearable as the day of the festival neared. Finally, as the sun finally rose on the date, the usually vibrant port city was overflowing with traffic; merchants running about to set up stalls to sell their products, citizens working hard to ensure that every decoration and item was in its proper place, visitors and travelers finding themselves caught up in all the hustle. The castle itself was not immune to the energy of the city; most of the warriors inside having found themselves gathered in the great hall discussing the upcoming celebration.

"Oh, the festival would be the perfect time to share the joys of Pokémari! Wouldn't you agree, Forretress?" Yoshimoto's cheery comment was drowned out by the chatter of the other Warlords, but his partner still hummed in agreement as its eyes scanned over the crowd. Ginchiyo was currently pacing back and forth in front of Muneshige, going off about some topic of the other while the Junior Warlord leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, and listened with a slight air of indifference, nodding or giving a one-word reply when necessary.

Motonari, in an extremely predictable manner that one would assume to be detrimental given his position, was engrossed in a book, while Kanbei and Takakage stood nearby, equally engrossed in their own discussion. No one noticed Hanbei slowly sneaking out of the room with a picnic basket in hand. Mitsunari, Kiyomasa, and Masanori were arguing over the festival in one corner of the room, while Oichi was sitting down in a relatively more quiet corner of the room, eyes quickly scanning over the various supplies spread out in front of her while she delicately bent the paper in her hands into the desired shape.

"What's all this, Oichi?" the girl looked up from the item in her hand, which slowly bent back into its original shape due to the loss of pressure, in time to see Tadashi taking a seat across from her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lord Tadashi! I wasn't in your way, was I?" he only smiled.

"Not at all," taking a second glance down at the various items spread out in front of the girl, from the paper in her hand to various colors of brown paint, scissors, and pieces of wood and glue, he raised an eyebrow.

"Building something?" she nodded in response, quickly reverting the paper in her dainty hands back into the angle she wanted.

"A lantern for the festival tonight," her reply elicited a curious "hm" from the Warlord.

"Lantern? What for?" Oichi's porcelain features were momentarily overtaken with a bout of disbelief before she recomposed herself into a more reserved facet.

"It's tradition to release lanterns during the festival," the Auroran raised an eyebrow.

"We never did that in Violight..." Tadashi let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Though, now that I think about it, releasing a bunch of paper balloons into storm clouds seems like a pretty stupid idea."

"Would you mind if I helped?" he could tell his question had taken her off guard while he absentmindedly turned a piece of wood over in his hands.

"Well, um..." he gazed back up, watching her gaze shift down to avoid making eye contact with him. "It was supposed to be a surprise, actually."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'll leave you to it, then," the male twin quickly stood up and gave a quick bow before heading off awkwardly. Oichi returned her attention to the materials strewn in front of her, biting her bottom lip as she went back to work.

* * *

As he finally climbed through the last flight and ascended into the rotunda of the tower, Ranmaru let out a heavy breath and slumped down slightly, hands clutching his legs as the page steadied his breathing. Though the boy had made the trek to the top of the tower more times than he could count, perhaps it was simply because the expansions to the castle were complete that the climb felt more grueling than usual. Quickly remembering where he was, Ranmaru blinked and straightened himself completely, arms falling to his side as he turned to where his lord would usually be.

However, much to the raven haired boy's surprise, rather than dueling with his Hydreigon or silently plotting out his conquest, Nobunaga was standing at the edge of the elevated dais that now occupied a large part of the pavilion, looking out through one of the gaps in the wall that offered a stunning view of the mountainsides and the horizon. Though it was not an unusual sight, what did cause the page to stop for a moment was that the conqueror was flanked by his faithful partner and Ieyasu, both joining him in gazing out silently at the sunset. No words were exchanged, the only noticeable sound erupting throughout the tower being that of a slight breeze weaving through it, the only signs that it had even been there being the flickering of Ieyasu's cape, Nobuanga's coattails, and a short change in the tempo of the beating of Hydreigon's wings.

Curious as to what had so occupied the three's attention, Ranmaru shifted slightly, careful to ensure that his boots made no sounds out of fear of intruding, but all he managed to catch was the various hues of the sunset splashing across the horizon and landscape of Dragnor. He returned to his previous ramrod-straight posture and blinked confusedly, wondering what detail the three saw in the horizon that he did not. Finally, as if someone had read his thoughts, and for a mere second the boy wondered if it was possible given that he had not been addressed yet, Ieyasu's voice cut through the silence.

"We have come far from that day, have we not, my Lord?" Ranmaru saw Nobunaga's purple coat shift slightly, accompanied by the sound of his armor clinking as the Warlord lifted one of his crossed arms to his chin.

"Yes. But there is work yet to be done," Hydreigon let out a sigh, the Pokémon lowering its head-arms.

"Hy..." the Dragon's comment was surprisingly restrained, an amount of wistfulness entering its voice that the page had not heard before.

"Perhaps," silence descended over the room again after Nobunaga's reply, and Ranmaru moved to leave as quietly as he could, the purple-clad boy deciding that his usual presence was not necessary this time. But as he moved quietly, shifting down through the staircase, the silence was shattered again and he momentarily froze out of fear.

"Have you ever wondered, my Lord, what would have happened had that battle gone differently?" the page relaxed at hearing the question, shoulders lowering and letting out a small breath he wasn't aware he was holding in as relief replaced the fear in his veins, while an apathetic chuckle escaped Nobunaga's lips.

"Nobunaga does not entertain such thoughts, Ieyasu," there was a short, but tense, pause, and Ranmaru remained out of curiosity. "But we are both aware of what the inevitable conclusion would be; Motoyasu would still live, the Demon King would not have been born, and Ransei would be no closer to peace."

Another tense silence followed Nobunaga's statement, and Ranmaru could practically feel the Valoran's discomfort. "Forgive me, Lord Nobunaga. I know now is not the time for such musings."

The page heard an acknowledgement from his lord. "The sands of time continue to flow, Ieyasu. We cannot afford to dwell in the past; simply carry onwards if Ransei is to know peace."

Ranmaru finally forced himself to leave the three, inwardly berating himself for his intrusion, and began his silent descent back down the seemingly endless flight of stairs that led into the tower.

* * *

Mitsuhide stared up at the at the quickly darkening skies of Dragnor, ones that only seemed to encourage the noise and celebrations around him to carry on. The chatter was deafening, music swirling, lanterns were shining against their dark backdrop, and people were weaving about the area like waves crashing against each other. Here, in the very heart of Nobunaga's empire, life swirled around him; none of the denizens of Dragnor had any reason to be concerned. There was no looming threat, no shadow of war or disaster casting itself over the kingdom, certainly not when the Demon King himself resided above, looking down and watching over all of them, protecting his people from any such threats.

In a way, the Nixtormite found himself envying them. They had no concerns; no true burdens. They did not have to carry the responsibility of a kingdom upon their shoulders, nor weigh the lives of others or fight incessantly. They were free to live their lives, to delight in such pastimes, and affected as they might be by the constant conflict, they did not have to bear the burden of ending it. Being born with the capability to form links with Pokémon was seen as a blessing by most, but to the Ice Type Warlord, it had morphed into a curse; chains that he could never unshackle himself of, ones that had dictated his life since his birth, ones he would pass down.

"Papa! Papa!" Mitsuhide was pulled out of his thoughts as Gracia pulled on his arm, the Warlord stumbling slightly from the unexpected force as his daughter looked around in awe at her surroundings. "This place is so big!"

Her voice was filled with as much awe as her emerald eyes, darting from side to side as she took in the festival. "How come Nixtorm doesn't have anything like this, papa?"

The man smiled at her question as he looked down, violet eyes staring into pools of green as Gracia looked up expectedly. "I don't think Nixtorm is really capable of hosting something like this, dear."

His daughter's next question was anticipated. "Why, papa? Can't you make one?"

"I could, but it wouldn't be the same," Mitsuhide gave a reassuring smile to the disappointed girl, his gaze rising again. Out of idle interest, he began looking around through the shifting forms of the crowd, and managed to spot a small booth selling dolls of various Pokémon, amongst other items, and then another behind him that sold various Pokémon-related items. A hand moved to his belt, and he retrieved his coin pouch and pulled out a few of the gold pieces inside, before bending down again to Gracia's level.

"Here, Gracia. You see that booth over there?" he motioned quickly in the direction of said place after placing the coins into her small hands, Gracia quickly following his gesture and nodding. "It will probably be a while before we get to come to another one of these, so go buy whatever you want and come right back, okay?"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Really, papa!?"

"Yes," a small smile had returned to his face. "You're a big girl, right?"

"Yep! You can trust me, papa!" Gracia spun around and cheerfully went into the crowd, Mitsuhide watching her slowly get swallowed up by the masses with an amount of trepidation, before finally forcing himself to turn around after he could no longer see the scarlet of his daughter's hair as she faded away from his vision. And, once he quickly purchased the item he wanted, and there was nothing else to occupy his mind, the Nixtormite slowly began to sink back into the bog of his thoughts.

Though every nerve in his body, every parental instinct, screamed at him for letting Gracia go off alone, no matter how short the distance, at such a place, the memory of the wide, cheery smile that broke out on her face at hearing that he trusted her enough to go off on her own was enough to pacify those thoughts.

But, even then, he hated himself for letting it come to such a point. For sheltering her so much but rarely being around for her, for having to place his rank above his family, for being the cause of her loneliness. And so, for the short time that he was here, he resolved that he would try to make this festival as enjoyable as possible for her, and hovering over his daughter like a Braviary was not the way to go about making amends to her. Regardless, the Nixtormite still felt uneasy, a nausea creeping up from his stomach and into his veins that reminded him he was out of place here.

His lord was inexorable; but his legions were only composed of men. They needed rest, too. And so, here he found himself, uncomfortably surrounded by so many people, feeling as if he was stuck in a limbo; so close to their happiness, but still so detached from it. The Nixtormite could never be his lord, he could never discard everything for the sake of ambition; Gracia was his reason for fighting, but also an anchor to the realities of it. Nor was he foolish enough to believe that he could ever truly live a life free of such worries and responsibilities, either; abandoning his people would be no better than abandoning himself. If only for a few hours, though, and for her sake, he decided he could entertain the illusion of being a normal father.

The Warlord was suddenly jarred out of his thoughts as some passerby accidentally bumped into him before heading on his way, and Mitsuhide suddenly came to the realization that Gracia had not come back. The man frantically looked around for her, finding no sign of his daughter in the nearby crowd or at any of the stalls, taking a short note that the sun had descended noticeably further than when he first arrived and was nearly hidden behind one of Dragnor's many mountain ranges between his panicked running about, before stopping mid-sprint, centering himself as he realized, and accepted with no small amount of anger, that she wasn't nearby.

As if fate had decided to play a cruel joke on him, though, reminding him of the price of trying to live an illusion, when Mitsuhide raised his gaze with as much calmness as a panicked parent possibly could, he caught the sight of a small tuft of red hair peeking through the mass of people. Casting all caution to the wind, he immediately broke into a frantic pace towards his newfound hope, and silently decided he was a horrible parent.

* * *

As the sun was beginning its descent, the festival in Chrysalia finally began to pick up full momentum. Tadashi found himself lost in the surging crowd, and even as he looked around aimlessly, basking in the commotion and furor raging around him as the celebrations began to pick up in full swing, the Auroran felt a sense of loneliness creep over him. Most of the Aurora Army had parted upon entering the crowded city, going off to explore at their own interest, and given that they had left the Pokémon behind at the castle out of fear of losing track of them in the crowd, Tadashi was, for the first time in a very long time, truly alone.

The teen blinked and scratched the back of his head, uncertain of what to do or where to go, and though it was the storm of people around him that was causing the noise, Tadashi found that it was his own thoughts that were threatening to swallow him whole; slowly beginning to wonder why he was even here. Would anyone miss him if he suddenly vanished in this crowd, never to be seen again? He doubted it, the Warlord mused; Kazumi could easily fill in his role without so much as blinking, and probably get things done much easier without having to constantly clean up after him.

Was it bad that he felt a small, sad smile spread across his face at the thought?

"Lord Tadashi!" the Warlord stopped abruptly in his tracks at hearing his name being called out, blinking when he realized that he had been walking the entire time he was engrossed in his thoughts and was somewhere he no longer recognized, before turning around to the source of the voice. He saw Oichi worming her way through the crowd, a basket in hand, and a smile on her face as they made eye contact.

"I've been looking for you!"

"You have?" Tadashi silently hoped he hadn't sounded too desperate in his reply, but if he had, she said nothing.

"Yes; I thought you might be lonely, and I don't think that's any way to spend the festival, is it?" the Auroran felt a more genuine smile breaking through his half-depressed, half-surprised veneer.

"No, I guess it's not," the two fell in stride together, and over the course of their ensuing conversation, Oichi noticed her companion slowly slipping into a more downcast atmosphere, a slight slouch taking over his stance, eyes narrowed as if he was trying to see through a thick fog when it was perfectly visible outside, and steps a bit heavier than his usual fashion.

"Is something troubling you, Lord Tadashi?" the auburn-haired girl saw something in him shift as she asked that; a glimmer of recognition in his eyes amidst a small amount of surprise. He looked down at her, lips straining to give a smile, but ultimately failing and resulting in a pensive expression, and he finally gave up his attempt to mask his worries with a heavy sigh.

"Please, Tadashi will do just fine, Oichi; I'm no leader. And yes, I suppose you could say that..." silence reigned for a moment after his admission, and it was plain for Oichi to see that he was torn over the topic.

"Would talking about it help, Tadashi?" she frowned afterwards; saying his name without the title felt too awkward for her tastes. Tadashi replied with a shrug; at this point he no longer saw anything to lose from it.

"I just feel... unnecessary," he glanced down at the ground while they continued their walk, his voice becoming more difficult to make out. "Sometimes I wonder what Aurora would be like without me. All I've done is get in the way or rush headfirst into action like a fool. Kazumi's the one who's done most of the actual work, in addition to cleaning up the messes I've made, and though sister's said otherwise, I feel like I constantly live in her shadow, and the only difference between the two of us is that I'm just a hindrance."

"That's not true, Lord Tadashi," the Warlord felt something inside him stir at her comment, some warm, hopeful feeling beginning to take root in him at her rebuttal. The Auroran turned to look at her, and though his face remained impassive, Oichi could see the eagerness in his eyes for her answer.

"Hm?"

"You might have acted rashly, my Lord, but you shouldn't discount your own accomplishments. If you hadn't been willing to attack, to encourage others to follow you, then we wouldn't be where we are today, let alone have been able to triumph over Hideyoshi."

"I- I guess, but-" Oichi shook her head.

"Lady Kazumi's wise, but she can also be a bit too cautious. If you weren't around to balance her out, my Lord, then I'm afraid we might have been defeated a long time ago, and there would be no hope of being able to stop Nobunaga," his expression became unreadable; a strange mixture of relief trying to break through while guilt attempted to force it down.

"I know, but... How much damage have I caused in the process? What if I destroy Ransei in the process of saving it?"

"We all make mistakes, my Lord, but we also learn from them. If you aren't even willing to try, then how will you ever improve? The very fact you're actually worrying about whether or not your doing a good job as a Warlord shows that you are, Lord Tadashi," any more doubts the twin had over himself soon died away at her reply, a smile finding its way onto his face. The two held their gaze for a moment, and Oichi saw the gratitude in his eyes, lips quivering as he tried to express it.

"Thank you, Oichi... I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else," he turned back to the crowd, and for a moment the pink-clad girl thought she saw a few tears beginning to form in his eyes. "You've... You've been a good friend to me."

"If it's any consolation, my lord, I also know how it feels to think you live in someone else's shadow..." Tadashi turned back around at hearing Oichi's quiet comment.

"You do?" his voice contained gentle sympathy, reassuring her, and she gave a nod.

"I remember that my brother was filled with life... He was always smiling and he seemed to naturally attract others to him. I was never really comfortable with all the attention, though," she wore a thin, bitter smile. "But I guess I'm just one of those people that fades into the background."

"Not in the slightest," she looked up, confused, and he only smiled. "You've been the biggest help to me and Kazumi out of everyone. Aurora would have fallen apart at the seams if it weren't for all your hard work, and we would have never come as far as we did if you hadn't been at our side. Heck, if you weren't around, I doubt we wouldn't have even won our first battle," she mouthed a silent 'thank you' at his encouragement, while he looked upwards.

"Huh. Dark already?" Oichi blinked at his observation, before looking down at the basket in her hands, quickly opening it and pulling the object inside out.

"That means we'll be releasing the lanterns soon," Tadashi took a glance at the cubic lantern in her hands and let out a small chuckle at its design.

"An Eevee lantern?" Oichi gave a quick nod and handed the item in question to him.

"Do you like it?" the Warlord's eyes gazed over the object in his hands, silently admiring the craftsmanship.

"You've done an incredible job with it," after turning it over a few more times, Tadashi returned the item to Oichi, who was watching some of the nearby citizens light their own lanterns.

"It's time!" the girl enthusiastically pulled out a small matchbox from the basket as well, hastily lighting the candle suspended within, giving the brown item an orange glow, before quickly lifting it up into the air to join the countless other lanterns that were beginning to float away. The two Warlords stared up at the mesmerizing sight in silence, watching the seemingly endless array of lights float up into the sky.

"I wonder where it'll end up?"

"I can't say, my Lord," the two remained in silence afterwards, still gazing skywards even as the vibrant celebrations resumed around them, both wishing that, contrite as it might be, the peace of this moment could last.

* * *

Night had begun to fall over Ransei, and after a bit of less-than subtle prodding, Hanbei had finally managed to convince Kazumi to leave the still roaring festival behind and follow him out of the city and onto one of the hills overlooking it and the countryside. The brunette squinted slightly, straining to make out the shapes around her as they got further and further away from the light of Chrysalia, while Hanbei seemed to be having no trouble navigating the increasingly dark terrain. Fortunately for her, the tactician's white and gold attire, not to mention his less than quiet steps, made him easy to follow, and soon enough both came to a stop at the top of a hill. Almost instinctively, she looked upwards, gazing up into the clear night sky and the stars that dotted across it, and after a few seconds sat down to get a better view. Hanbei, who had turned to a nearby tree, stopped his approach and turned back to look at her.

"You okay?" the Auroran blinked at her companion's question, turning her gaze from the constellations above to his purple eyes that she managed to make out through the dark.

"I'm fine," her reply was simple, and Kazumi found herself taking another glance back towards the sky. "The sky's pretty clear tonight."

"Yeah, it is," Hanbei had moved over to her side by know, the sound of his coat flickering giving his movements away. "I always liked stargazing as a kid."

His comment perked her interest, and the Warlord turned to face the tactician, who had sat down besides her, amusedly watching him trace out the shapes of various constellations before deciding to question him. "Really?"

"Yep; I even kept trying to make a telescope so I could see them more clearly," the Ignite let out a small chuckle at his own comment, muttering something about beginnings and hobbies before clearing his throat awkwardly. "But what kid isn't fascinated by the stars?"

"Brother was never really interested in them," the brunette replied, a small smile having spread onto her face. "I loved them though. On the few nights it wasn't overcast in Violight, I'd always be outside looking up at the stars. Tadashi would usually come out to keep me company, and we'd usually stay out late enough that Uncle would have to get Mr. Dosetsu to drag us back inside."

The girl finished her reminiscence with a small smile, leaning back and using her elbows to support herself, before a thought dawned on her and she turned back to Hanbei.

"Hanbei?"

"Hm?" the white clad-boy sat up, having laid down in the grass himself, hands interlocked and cradling his head while he looked up into the sky.

"Why did you bring me here?" a small silence followed, in which the tactician's eyes widened, and with more speed then Kazumi had ever seen him move with, he was standing back up. He gave her one of his usually sheepish smiles, stumbling over his words to apologize for dawdling, coughed a bit between, and then realized that his loose-fitting beret was not on his head. Realizing it must have fallen off in his haste, the raven-haired boy looked back down to where he had been resting, only to feel something being shoved in his hands.

"Thanks," Hanbei quickly donned his hat, giving an appreciatory nod to Kazumi, and then spun around. "Follow me."

She raised an eyebrow at his vagueness, but quickly fell behind pace with him as they rounded the sole tree on the hill. The Auroran took a small step back in shock at the massive silhouette she saw behind it. Hanbei carried on, and after a few moments of rummaging, had produced a candle. The sudden burst of light forced Kazumi to shield her eyes for a moment, but when she lowered her wrists she gawked at the massive, lantern-like object in front of her, while Hanbei undid the rope that had tied it to the tree and began pushing it away from the foliage.

"What is _that_?" her question was marred by a large amount of hesitation, and when Hanbei was finished he turned to face her.

"A giant lantern, basically," he then lifted the candle into the top, causing the white material to suddenly glow with a yellowish tint, providing light to the surrounding area and revealing the object to be very much what he said, minus a sizable basket that was hanging from the bottom; presumably the reason why the object was still anchored to the ground. Hanbei then proceeded to climb into it awkwardly, having to duck down to avoid hitting the wooden rim while stepping in, and the co-Warlord of Aurora took a hesitant step forwards. He smiled reassuringly and held out an open hand, and Kazumi shakily took it, stepping into the somewhat cramped basket with a bit more ease due to his help. The girl looked around slightly, eyes darting between the darkened landscape while she absentmindedly wondered what was going to happen, only to turn back as she heard the tactician grunting just in time to watch him toss a large, heavy-looking sack over the side of the basket.

"And what was that?"

"A bag of rocks."

"Why did you ne-" her own question was answered as the basket began to shift slightly. The white-clad Warlord yelped in shock in response, blue orbs shooting downwards to see that the short grass of the hill seemed to be growing shorter with every second, and then looked up again to see that they were ascending above the height of some of the tree branches that the lantern had been tied to.

"It works!" Hanbei cried out in triumph, pumping a fist energetically as he watched the ground get further and further away. The raven-haired boy's comment did nothing to ease Kazumi's growing anxiety.

"You didn't know if it would work!?" Hanbei laughed nervously, eyes closed and a small, toothy smile having complemented his sheepishness.

"Well, I was so excited to get it built, I guess I didn't have any time to test it..." when the tactician turned back to face Kazumi, his embarrassment turned to curiosity at the sight in front of him, arching a raven eyebrow in the process. The girl had a very uneasy smile plastered on her face, blue eyes fixated down to the ground, which they were now a considerable distance from, and she was grasping the edge of the wicker box hard enough that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"You're afraid of heights?" his comment provided a much needed distraction to her, and the Auroran turned back to him with a smile that seemed to mimic the one he had worn only a few seconds ago.

"Apparently," her reply was laced with a strange mixture of nervousness and amusement, and the narcoleptic placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile.

"Just don't look down," Hanbei's eyes quickly adopted a more mischievous gleam to them, and the boy put his weight against the edge of the basket. "Or lean over the edge like this."

"Hanbei!" the tactician was standing back upright even before she could finish her hasty exclamation, letting out a dry laugh while she shook her head, futilely trying to resist the urge to smile along with him. Perhaps it was simply how confident he was, but the tactician's very presence seemed reassuring, energizing even; his laidback personality seemed almost infectious as his smile, and she no longer thought, or cared, about how high up they were, and finally gave in and began laughing alongside him. After a few short breaths once the laughter died down, the Warlord took another glance towards the horizon.

"Look!" Hanbei turned at her exclamation, his eyes lighting up at the sight of hundreds of lanterns of all shapes, colors and sizes slowly floating up from Chrysalia and into the clear night sky, giving the skies ahead the illusion of being a sea of lights. Both Warlords gaped at the sight, breathless as they marveled at the sight.

"It's incredible..." the tactician in white nodded.

"Yeah. Watching it from the ground is one thing, but from this angle..." the two stood in silence for a few long seconds, Kazumi placing her wrists on the railing as she became lost in the moment, before a certain, nearby lantern, caught Hanbei's attention. Slowly, the tactician strained as he reached out, hoping not to shake the basket or crush the desired object, and managed to wrap his fingers around the paper edge of it.

"Lady Kazumi," the Auroran looked over to her companion, blue eyes brightening at the object in his outstretched hands. It was rectangular, brown with cream patterns running across the bottom, two small, similarly colored flaps sticking out from the top, and two black eyes painted on the front.

"An Eevee lantern?" another smile spread across her face at the illuminated object, before lifting it up slightly and blowing out the flame inside, a small trail of smoke escaping from the fragile lantern's bottom as she placed it down. "Thanks."

The brunette let a small chuckle escape her lips as a thought came to mind, and she faced the tactician with a raised eyebrow and smile that seemed to blend happiness with an entertained mischief.

"So, Hanbei," Kazumi leaned in slightly. "Is this a date?"

The tactician smiled and let out a laugh that, though cheery, betrayed a small amount of nervousness over her question. "What? I can't do all this for a friend?"

Kazumi chuckled slightly, though it was plain for Hanbei to see that she was slightly disappointed by his response. As the Auroran turned back to the front, the Ignite quickly reached down and grabbed a picnic basket that was lying in the corner closest to him and placed it on the ledge. Kazumi eyed the container with bated curiosity, and Hanbei smiled excitedly. " _Now_ it's a date."

From there, time seemed to fly by, lost in their many conversations. They talked, laughed, speculated, shared, and, once a comfortable silence had descended between the two after neither could think of something else to say, simply watched the sky in silence, enjoying each others presence as the wind slowly drifted their ride about. Kazumi leaned back slightly and spared a glance at Hanbei. The warrior's eyes were beginning to droop slightly, but he still gazed up at the open sky. It was his smile, though, that drew her eye; it seemed almost out of place on him. It was in his same goofy fashion as usual, almost lovesick, even, but it was somehow more reserved at the same time. The female twin raised a hand to her chin, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out what was different. And, in thinking back through all the other instances of his smiles she could remember, the Warlord slowly began to come to the conclusion of what nuance made it feel different to her: it was that his smile was natural. Most of his smiles were usually given as reassurance or encouragement, or occasionally broke through in moments of confidence; they were less an expression of his own feelings and more of an attempt to encourage others. But the one she saw arose of its own accord, and the girl saw genuine contentment in it. Feeling another smile spread over her face, in a similar vein to his, Kazumi decided that she wanted to see Hanbei smile like that more often; that she would be there to cheer him along as he had for her.

The basket shook a little as she placed more weight against the edge of it in her contemplation, shaking both Warlords out of their reverie. They managed to steady their footing, and thus their impromptu carriage, but another, very pressing, thought suddenly came to mind as Kazumi got another glance of the grassy glades below.

"Uh, Hanbei? How are we going to get down?"

The Ignite's dreamy expression evaporated at her question, eyes going wide and his mouth going slightly ajar. She felt the blood begin to drain from her face as Hanbei stumbled for words, and then he suddenly spun around to take a look below. They were now a good distance above Chrysalia, slowly floating in the direction of its castle, and the narcoleptic made out a particularly large tree in its courtyard. The tactician's eyes then flickered upwards to the flame that was keeping the lantern afloat, and before Kazumi could figure out what was happening, Hanbei had moved over by her side and had wrapped his arm around her, eliciting another surprised cry.

"I really recommend you hold on, Lady Kazumi," the direness in the tactician's voice left no room to argue, and that was the only warning Kazumi had before he blew out the flame.

* * *

Kanbei let out a pensive hum as he leaned back against the base of the tree he was sitting against, a gauntleted hand hovering over the various pieces on the chess board that he was staring down at. Enough light was being provided by his opponent that the albino could make out the board, running various stratagems in his head to drown out the noise of the nearby festival while he mulled over his next move. Finally, lifting up one of his ivory pieces, the tactician careened it across the board and knocked over an obsidian piece with it.

"Check."

The tactician's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of his opponent's conundrum over his latest maneuver, inwardly amused over being able to practically watch the smoke rise out of Lampent's top as the Pokémon tried to formulate a counter to his move. The two yellow eyes of the Lamp Pokémon shifted downwards, the hovering Pokémon moving closer to the board to move one of its pieces.

"Are you certain you want to make that move?" the Ghost/Fire Type dropped the piece it had picked up, looking at its partner with a mixture of irritation and begrudging acquiescence, silently demanding an explanation from the black-clad Ignite. Kanbei shifted slightly as he bent over, giving him better reach of the board.

"Your Pawniard is pinned; if you move it forwards to cut off my Bisharp, you would be exposing your Nidoqueen to mine," he noticed the Pokémon's eyes dart down to another piece, and the tactician only shook his head in response. "If you were too move that piece, I could simply advance my Bisharp and checkmate you the following turn."

_"And regardless of what I might do, your Nidoqueen would just seize my Escavalier and checkmate me regardless,"_ Kanbei raised an eyebrow at the Pokémon's comment, smiling slightly as he placed a hand to his chin.

"I am impressed you noticed that."

_"Your offensives were just failsafes and distractions; you wanted the Nidoqueen to protect your front lines so they could pave a way for it."_

The warrior raised an eyebrow. "And you did not act on that knowledge why?"

The Pokémon glanced downwards, yellow eyes narrowed slightly as the usually ghostly flame that inhabited its spherical body dimmed slightly before it broke the silent, reluctant air it had generated. _"Hindsight is twenty-twenty."_

Before either could respond or move, Kanbei saw an approaching object in his peripheral vision, followed shortly after by the quickly increasing sound of screams, and the stoic fully looked upwards to catch sight of a massive lantern falling out of the sky and rapidly approaching them. He caught sight of the white of Hanbei's cap, let out a heavy sigh as he deftly pieced together the basic facts, and being as they were losing sky to quickly for him to move away, simply raised his robed arms to protect his head. The tree that was only a few inches behind him shuck violently as the foliage ripped into the soft material of the lantern, suspending the basket that was holding the two Warlords a few feet above the ground.

"That wasn't as bad as I thou-" Hanbei didn't have time to finish his sentence as the ropes that had tied the basket to the lantern snapped, sending the two down to earth with a crash violent enough to shake the chessboard. Lampent looked up at its partner with no small amount of amusement.

_"Checkmate,"_ Kanbei was too busy looking at the sight of the two Warlords in a morbid hesitation to offer a rebuttal, quickly getting to his feet when a pained groan came from Kazumi, who was sprawled out, facedown, across Hanbei's back. Eyes closed, and feeling the world spinning around her, the female twin pushed herself up, only to open her eyes as she realized the ground felt softer than she expected.

"Ohmygosh!" the Auroran cried out in a single breath when she realized she was pressing further into the white-clad Ignite's back, before frantically turning him over and shaking him. "Hanbei! Are you all right!?"

He groaned in response to her shaking, eyes fluttering open and pushing himself off the ground before smiling sheepishly.

"Strangely enough," Hanbei began after a quiet cough, blinking a few times to refocus his vision before standing up. "I felt pretty comfortable..."

Kazumi shook her head and gave him a halfhearted, playful punch on the arm for his comment, while Kanbei finally cleared his throat and drew the attention of the two. The black-clad tactician opened his mouth, but what followed was the sound of Tadashi's distressed shouting.

"Sister!" the twin's shouting preceded his appearance by mere seconds, the Warlord shooting out from behind the shadow of Kanbei's frame in a blur of white and black, the flickering orange of nearby torches illuminating him as he ran up to the trio like the world was ending. Kazumi noticed Oichi following shortly after, but most of the girl's attention was occupied by her confused and worried brother panting in front of her, his silvery eyes wandering back and forth between her, Hanbei, the tree behind them and the object impaled on it, and then back to her before he could even formulate a comprehensible word. The Warlord's face was flushed and sweaty, and the trio began to make out his questioning as his breathing steadied.

"Wha- What- Are you-"

"I'm fine, Tadashi," Kazumi cut him off, raising a hand in a silent command to focus on regaining his composure before questioning her. "A bit shaken, but fine. Hanbei took the brunt of the fall."

"Fall!?" the female twin inwardly conceded that she could have left that detail out, if only to spare her brother any further distress, but fortunately Hanbei came to her rescue.

"I guess I deserve it after ruining the festival for you," he had smiled bitterly as he said that, shoulders slumped and eyes glancing downwards, but the tactician felt a small amount of surprise overtake him when a hand was placed on his shoulder, and her looked up to see Kazumi's face, a sympathetic contentment replacing the malice he had been expecting to see.

"You didn't ruin it Hanbei, I really enjoyed tonight," the downcast tactician blinked in disbelief, a mixture of shock and relief writing itself on his face at her comment. "Granted, I don't really feel like going through the whole 'falling out of the sky' part again, but I'm touched you went through all this trouble for me."

"Even if that was the cause of it in the first place?" the Auroran only gave a soft nod in response to his cautious question, and Hanbei let out a small sigh as he felt a weight drop off his shoulders.

"Have a good night, Hanbei," Kazumi turned and headed back into the Chrysalia at a slightly sluggish pace, steps still a bit shaky, leaving an aloof Hanbei in her wake. He was quickly brought crashing back into reality, however, when he realized that the Auroran's presence in front of him had been replaced with her indignant twin's. The brunette's arms were crossed, lips curled down slightly in distaste, further accentuated by a slight lean forward as his eyes silently bore holes into the tactician in a clear attempt at intimidation that Hanbei was too tired to quite register.

"As for you, Hanbei; if you ever put Kazumi in danger like that again, I'll-" Tadashi's threat was cut off by a loud yawn from Hanbei, who raised a hand, obscured in the large sleeve of his white coat, to cover his mouth.

"Can we talk about this in the morning? I'm pretty worn out..." the Warlord's words died in his throat at the tactician's half-audible request, expression morphing from anger to disbelief to irked within the span of a second.

"What!? You just fell out of the sky! How can you be sleepy!?" the raven-haired teen shrugged, a small, almost pleased smile that was barely visible under the limited light snaking its way onto his features.

"Well, I kinda stayed up all night the past few days to get everything finished..." another yawn overtook the Ignite, and he began slowly staggering towards the keep as well. "I'll see you in the morning, Lord Tadashi..."

Tadashi scowled slight, taking a step forward to pursue, only for an unexpected tugging on his shoulder to stop him mid-step. He cast a glance over his shoulder, seeing a meek look from Oichi, silently pleading with him to let it go for the night, and he relented with a sigh. Perhaps it was simply her better judgment, or the fact that her very presence seemed calming, but the Warlord of Aurora decided the matter could wait until after everyone had gotten some sleep. Kanbei cleared his throat again, drawing the attention of the two Aurorans, while Lampent floated lazily behind him.

"I will speak to him about this, my Lord," the albino gave a small bow before departing as well, leaving the duo alone.

Tadashi turned back to the girl enshrouded in pink, their solitude bringing the reality of the situation bearing down on him. The co-Warlord looked down at his boots, shuffling his feet awkwardly as he tried to formulate the proper response. "I'm, uh, sorry for suddenly running off without warning like that."

"It's fine, my Lord," the timid girl's tone told him she still held reservations over it, and though it was obvious she emphasized with his reasoning, it did little to assuage his guilt. The corners of her lips quivered slightly at seeing his own sullen state, and she clasped her hands together and forced as much energy into her voice as the late hour would permit. "I'm pretty sure everyone in Chrysalia saw them coming down."

"Yeah," the brunette spared a glance back up at the moon and clear night sky, lips pursing slightly. "It's pretty late, Oichi, probably getting close to midnight. Why don't we call it a night?"

"That sounds for the best..." her own comment was complimented by a yawn, which was followed by one of his own. The two shared a small laugh about that as they made way towards the grotesquely ornate structure, but before they left the area, Tadashi heard something fall from the tree and land at its base. Blinking, silvery eyes glancing to the side in search of the source of the noise, he quickly made out the silhouette of it crumpled up against the tree. He approached it cautiously, nearly drawing away to it without Oichi noticing his path, and by the time she was alarmed enough to stop and turn around due to the lack of noise behind her, she saw him holding up the Eevee-themed lantern she had made.

Tadashi smiled slightly at the object in his hands, chuckling silently as he made his way back to her side.

"Anything else want to fall out of the sky?" his comment might have been muttered, but as if answering his challenge, the tree branch holding up the basket snapped, sending Hanbei's creation spiraling down onto Chrysalia's garden in disgraceful heap. The two Aurorans quickly exchanged glances, a bluish-grey meeting auburn for a second, and the two silently decided that, much like many of the other issues that had sprung up tonight, it was best to worry about it in the morning.

* * *

The festive mood hung over Illusio as well, like one of the many decorative lanterns that was suspended from the ceiling of the great hall the five Warlords were gathered in. Shingen looked down at the feast before him hungrily, eyes darting from the steamed buns set out on a plate on one side, before shifting over to the rice cakes, and then to another dish, before returning to the Warlord enshrouded in white sitting across from him.

"This all looks very delicious, Kenshin," the Warlord in red's voice had not betrayed his anticipation at engorging himself on the vast array of food covering the table, the fact he continued folding his hands in his lap would. Kunoichi showed less restraint, the girl deftly swiping a piece of food off the table and popping it in her mouth while Yukimura and Kanetsugu were too busy discussing battling to notice. Kenshin caught the act in the corner of his eyes, but, for reasons the Illusite could only discern as being the festive spirit, something that had even managed to manifest in him; turning the Warlord's usual half-scowl into a more neutral expression, he decided to ignore the act and focus on his ally.

"It would ill behoove me to be discourteous on such an occasion."

Shingen let out a silent chuckle. "You've certainly outdone yourself this time, though."

The man finally let go of any reservations and picked up one of the still-hot buns, taking a bite out of it. The roll was properly seasoned, but still sweet, and the Terreran immediately decided it was one of the best he had eaten in years. His next question, made out through a second mouthful of the food, came rather naturally to him.

"Who's the cook?"

"Sister," Shingen nearly choked on the food in his mouth at Kenshin's mentioning of Aya being the cook, the man quickly dropping the remainder of the bun in his hand like it was acidic. The corners of the Psychic Type Warlord's pale lips curled downwards slightly, simultaneously putting down the cup that he had been clutching, but that was the only signs of his displeasure he was willing to show. The Warlord had actually been expecting something worse than that reaction, and quickly cleared his throat.

"The cooks prepared most of the feast," the Illusite clarified, his gravelly voice causing the greying man to look back up, a sheepish smile having broke out underneath his mask at his actions. "Sister is preparing the main dish."

The Warlord's comment had managed to quiet the table, Shingen putting a hand to his chin and the Junior Warlords quickly exchanging nervous glances, but before anyone could offer a comment or try to ignore the revelation, the doors to the hall opened. A woman, clad in a white cloak reminiscent of Kenshin's, and bearing a covered platter in her hands, stood in the doorway and gave a warm, toothless smile to the Warlords gathered around the table, the red of her lips offering a stark contrast to her porcelain skin. She took a step forward, and despite how steady her hands were in holding the concealed dish, most of the table swore they saw it shake in her hands. A few quick strides followed, the sounds of her steps being the only noise in the room as the merriment had been chased away by a tense anticipation, and it came to a crescendo as the woman placed the plate on the table and removed the top.

Everyone remained silent as they stared down at whatever was on the plate, until Kenshin managed to pry his eyes away and coughed uncomfortably into his gauntlet.

"I have recalled I am currently fasting. Yes..." he declared as he stood, the Warlord somehow managing to maintain his emotionless visage. The pale man turned and began to leave, while the Warlord of Terrera stood seconds later.

"Eh... And I think there might be some flaw in our strategy that somehow slipped my mind," Shingen muttered as he caught up with his rival, the masked man's voice barely audible. "And if not, I'm certain I can come up with something..."

"I'm allergic!" Kunoichi cried out mere moments after the two Warlords had managed to unabashedly stride out of the room, the ninja finally managing to tear her gaze away from whatever monstrosity was sitting on the table.

"I wonder what Masamune's having?" that was the only warning anyone had before the brunette quickly vanished, leaving Kanetsugu and Yukimura alone with Aya and her creation. Kanetsugu's visage suddenly darkened at the mention of the Warlord of Avia, the white-clad student crossing his arms and glancing menacingly at the floorboards.

"Honorless cur..." the Illusite muttered, before his head snapped back up as the situation he was in sunk in.

"Oh!" mustering as much surprise as he could, Kanetsugu then shot up and gave an apologetic, if not dramatically exaggerated, bow to Aya. "Forgive me for my inattentiveness, Lady Aya, but I just remembered that I have been neglecting my studies. For honor!"

With a shout that could pass off as a war cry, and raising his hand in the air, Kenshin's protégé barreled out of the room as quickly as possible. Aya turned to Yukimura, giving him her signature smile that somehow blurred the lines between reassuring and intimidating, and the crimson-clad warrior realized that he was all alone.

"Oh dear. I suppose this means more for the two of us, Yukimura," the warrior in question looked back at the table and shifted uncomfortably, but regained his calm with a deep breath. He had been through far worse, the warrior assured himself. Countless grueling hours of ceaseless training under Lord Shingen, the barren, unforgiving desert of Terrera, myriads of battles against Illusio, not to mention his own bodyguard's antics. Surely a bit of food, if the thing that the brunette was now looking at again could truly be called that, would be nothing in comparison?

Yukimura had never been more wrong in his entire life.


	26. Chapter 26

As the month came to a close, the occupants of Chrysalia's keep found themselves gathered insides of its spacious great hall once more. Though the chatter hung heavy in the air while the Warlords prepared their announcement, Mitsunari elected to stay in a relatively quiet corner of the room. The boy was leaning back against the lacquered wooden walls, arms crossed, face set into a halfway disapproving frown, and droopy eyes somewhat obscured by a few particularly long strands of hair from his headdress. The Pawniard at his side, usually remaining in his shadow, gently nudged him when the Warlords at the front motioned for everyone to quiet down, causing the boy to quickly open his eyes and stand upright. Mitsunari looked around for a moment, but any questions he had died in his throat when his eyes landed on the two Warlords and their head strategist standing at the end of a table that had not been there previously, the latter unfolding a map on it.

"Our next target is the Kingdom of Pugilis," Tadashi's voice might have been calm, but any noise remaining in the room immediately evaporated upon his statement. The Auroran had spied a particularly solemn silence descend over the three Violighters, the only signs of recognition being that Ginchiyo's gaze narrowed by an almost unnoticeable amount and the evaporation of Muneshige's smile, but put it aside as Motonari finished unrolling the map of western Ransei. The Greenleafer cleared his throat before looking down at the intended object.

"Yes. First and foremost, Pugilis is Fighting-Type Kingdom of Ransei, and it's warriors reflect the martial prowess of such. This will not be an easy battle," more than a few murmurs broke out at the man's statement, trying to figure out if he was referring to the type disadvantage a sizeable amount of their Pokémon had, or if the Pugilites were simply strong enough that it warranted bluntness from the usually equivocal Warlord. The noise ended nearly as soon as it began, though, as Motonari carried on.

"The current Warlord is Yoshihiro Shimazu; he has ruled Pugilis for more than thirty years uninterrupted and has probably been in more battles than most of this room combined," if his previous comment had caused a ruckus, the silence that followed this one spoke for itself. Hanbei finally broke the silence and aptly summed up the collective disbelief with a slightly stuttered question.

"H-How?" Motonari's neutral, passive disposition remained unmoving, but a few in the room swore they heard a hint of distaste slip into his voice.

"Fighting is as much a pastime in Pugilis as it is a profession; war and peace can be considered synonyms in such a place, and might is its language," a sigh followed, and another glance back at the map. The room, with no small amount of hesitation, slowly went back to its hushed talking, and Motonari took the opportunity to turn to the two Aurorans, who had been quietly soaking in the grim situation.

"My Lord, my Lady," he began in a soft tone, the strategist ensuring that his voice could only be heard by the Warlords standing beside him. "I know I have already voiced my concerns over this, but I'm not certain if we are still ready to undertake such a fight."

"Time's not on our side, Lord Motonari," Kazumi whispered back, her twin nodding in agreement. "And we agreed that Pugilis was the best avenue of expansion."

"Not to mention you said yourself that might's their language," Tadashi chimed in, a hand going to his chin. "Yoshihiro wouldn't agree to any diplomatic alternatives; defeating him is our only option."

The mossy man relented with another sigh and nod, though both spoke more to an overwhelming reluctance than anything else. "At the very least, Lord Tadashi, we should send for Motochika and Fontaine's army."

"We'll see to it, then," the three then became aware that the room's focus had fallen back on them, for how long they didn't know, and quickly returned to their positions. This time it was Kazumi who cleared her throat, stepping forward to garner the attention of the gathered Warlords.

"We will be marching first thing tomorrow morning; make any preparations you need now," the girl's voice carried a weight it seldom had, and when she was finished the room quickly went about dispersing. Tadashi, however, had eyed the trio of Violighters with urgency.

"Ginchiyo, Doesetsu, Muneshige; wait a moment, please," the trio of Electric Type users stopped in their tracks, Dosetsu being the first to turn to face the Aurorans.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"We need the three of you to head back to Violight and gather the garrison there," the Warlord of Greenleaf moved forward as the male twin gave his order, the man folding his hands behind his back in a stately fashion.

"If you head out within the hour, I believe you should arrive with enough time to make any necessary preparations-"

Ginchiyo arced an eyebrow. "On such short notice?" Motonari only smiled.

"Swiftness has always been one of Violight's strengths," Tadashi thought he saw a shadow of a smile, or some gruff equivalent of acknowledgement, on the woman's face for a moment. "And if you were to leave at first light tomorrow, we should be able to converge on Pugilis at the same time."

"Understood; we'll head out at once," with the retired Warlord's declaration, the trio continued on their path out of the room. Motonari gave a quick nod to the two Warlords after their departure, gathering up the map spread out on the table before leaving himself.

* * *

Having quickly filled out the missive to Fontaine and dispatched it, the Warlord of Greenleaf found himself with a bit of spare time. Sitting down at a desk that he had used enough in the past month to call his, his three students discussing some matter behind him, Motonari dutifully scribbled away on the pages of an blank, thick, leather-bound tome. The sounds of the tip of the quill scratching the paper, interrupted occasionally only when he had to dip it back into its basin, drowned out the noise of Hanbei and Kanbei's debate, but when his arm seized up and he was forced to place down the utensil for his own sake, the strategist could make out every word with piqued interest.

"The defender has the advantage of their choice of field and anything they set up beforehand, Kanbei," the albino shook his head.

"And yet the aggressor chooses when to attack; the defender's choice of field is only as good as the attacker will permit," Hanbei's eyes shifted to the side, catching their mentor watching with a reserved disposition.

"Fine; why don't we ask Lord Motonari to settle this?" the man in question chuckled, running a hand through the back of his head in feigned ignorance.

"Settle what?" Takakage, sitting propped up against the wall, looked up from the book he was clutching.

"They're trying to decide whether the attacker or defender is stronger, father," Motonari put a hand to his chin, letting out an overly-contemplative hum while the two Ignites looked on in anticipation.

"Before I answer that," a small smile formed on the grassy-haired man's face, "Let me ask you this; what is more important? Perception? Or reality?"

"Reality. Obviously," Hanbei replied quickly, while Kanbei placed a hand to his chin.

"Perception..." the tactician in white turned to look at his counterpart with no small amount of shock, but Kanbei carried on. "Reality is only as good as perception will permit it to be."

"And without reality, perception is useless," the albino let out a dismissive huff, only causing Hanbei to cross his arms in irritation.

"To some," the narcoleptic's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Reality can't be ignored forever, Kanbei," the other tactician looked down on him with an emotion that would have scared most others, but before Hanbei could retort, their debate was interrupted by the Warlord they had momentarily forgotten about.

"Well; both of you are right and wrong," the two Ignites turned quickly in response, and he chuckled slightly. "Both are important, but useless without the other. Reality isn't any good if no one can perceive it, and perception is as equally detrimental if it's not grounded in reality. Likewise, any good strategist shouldn't rely too much on attack or defense; though the defender has the knowledge of what lies ahead, and the attacker has the advantage of forcing that knowledge on them, it's ultimately up to the combatants themselves to act upon it. Much like perception and reality, both will only be as useful as one allows them to be."

The two tacticians stared in an uncomfortable silence, neither knowing exactly how to reply. Hanbei put his arms behind his head, his small frown evaporating when he opened his mouth. "So... Don't play favorites, basically?"

Motonari let out an uneasy chuckle, causing his son to quickly look up from his tome before returning to it. "That's one way to put it, I suppose..."

Kanbei was a bit more accommodating, supplying a bow before his reply. "Thank you, Lord Motonari."

The albino turned to his shorter counterpart, giving a small nod to him in signal for them to depart and let their mentor return to his own tasks. Motonari turned back to his desk, while Kanbei stopped in his tracks suddenly as he and Hanbei got into the hallway.

"What's wrong, Kanbei?" the raven-haired genius had turned around when he no longer heard Kanbei's heavy footsteps, and the tactician in black shook his head in response to the sudden attention.

"Nothing. Forgive me," Hanbei blinked for a moment, not entirely believing his counterpart, but shrugged his shoulders and turned back around. Kanbei dismissed Hanbei's sudden paleness, almost sickly, as the work of the lighting, and fell back in behind him. As they rounded the corner, the duo's conversation picking up again, Ginchiyo appeared opposite of their path and strode into the room that was still occupied by the Greenleafers. Motonari raised his head as the clanking sounds of metal hitting wood began to waft into the room, which was easily more distracting than the Ignite's banter, just in time to see the Violighter place down a familiar book next to him with no amount of decorum.

"Finished already?" there was no small amount of amusement in the man's voice.

"I... pursue any task with due diligence," her reply was overly-cautious, and Motonari did his best to hide a small smile.

"Oh? Then might I ask for a bit of feedback?"

"It's dry and overly verbose," Ginchiyo stated matter-of-factly, supplementing the fact that her voice did not have it's usual edge when expressing disdain for something by crossing her arms. "And has too abrupt of an end."

Motonari only hummed in response. "Really? I thought my loss of Greenleaf would be the ideal place to conclude it."

"Though it certainly answered a few of my questions about your 'defeat', it fails to address any of the immediate aftermath," the strategist put a hand to his chin at the other warrior's comment, leaning back in his chair and taking a quick glance towards the ceiling.

"Yes, I certainly imagine that would be frustrating. An epilogue would be fitting, I suppose..." Motonari cleared his throat and returned his gaze to Ginchiyo. "Ah, but that's for another time. Thank you Ginchiyo; I might have to procure your help with this sometime again."

The Tachibana flinched and looked downwards, and for a moment the man swore he saw a hint of red flush against her cheeks, but her surprisingly docile reply silenced any thoughts he had. "Please, no..."

Ginchiyo then turned around and left quickly, using her impeding departure as a muttered excuse while she tried to recompose herself. The Violighter was too distracted to notice if anyone was in her way, and collided with Tadashi. She gave a brisk apology to the Warlord of Aurora before continuing on her path, the twin quickly eyeing her fleeting figure with a small amount of confused horror, before shaking his head and entering the room in full. Motonari hadn't bothered to return to his work that time.

"Well, it's a step up from yelling, I guess..." the teen muttered, then turning to the strategist who was looking at him expectantly. The Normal Type user suddenly found himself feeling a bit more awkward when he returned to the task at hand, glancing down at the floorboards as he steeled himself.

"Um, Motonari? Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly," the Greenleafer's voice betrayed no thoughts over the Warlord's apprehension. Takakage was still buried in his book.

"What do you think about Hanbei?" the Auroran's voice was a bit shaky as he asked that, but Motonari only gave a reassuring smile.

"Aren't you a bit young to be worrying about such, my Lord?" Tadashi took another glance sideways, face settling down into a more bitter expression.

"Is it so wrong for me to be concerned about my sister?" the older man's smiled faltered slightly, giving way for a more perceptive look in his eyes that evaded the attention of the twin.

"Is it?" Motonari's rhetorical question drew the attention of Tadashi again.

"What?"

"Do you trust Lady Kazumi, my Lord?" The brunette blinked, letting out a strangled breath while he stumbled for an answer.

"I- Of course," Motonari nodded stately.

"Then I suspect there's nothing to worry about, Lord Tadashi," the blond sitting against the wall finally looked up from his book in time to see Tadashi sigh sullenly and nod in agreement. It was obvious to him, that, though the Warlord agreed with his father, he was far from content on the matter. And as Tadashi turned and left the room, Motonari flexing his hand a few times before picking up the quill again, it was plain for the younger Greenleafer to see that the twin, on some level, had been expecting that outcome. And so, gently closing and setting down his the tome in his hands, Takakage wondered what would compel a person to seek advice for something they already knew the answer to. And, after thinking through it for a few moments but unable to think of anything, he decided to withdraw his father from his work one more time to apply his sagacity to another problem.

The muted sound of the inkwell being disturbed rang out as Motonari turned around to face the boy. There was a small smile on the man's face, speaking to an amount of amusement but happiness from the answer, and his eyes glossed over for a second with an emotion reminiscent of his smile.

"You'll understand eventually, son," a short, dry chuckle had preceded his infuriatingly vague reply, and the strategist turned back to his desk. Takakage picked up his book again, silently muttering about his age, not yet fully realizing he had anticipated that reply.

* * *

The road to Pugilis was a relatively straight shot from Chrysalia, well maintained and containing a surprising amount of traffic. The Aurora Army had left the Bug Type Kingdom behind with their morning grogginess, and though the march across the stone path was boring and uneventful, it still managed to set more than a few warriors on edge. Oichi looked at the plains around them a bit nervously, her grip tightening on the protesting Balloon Pokémon in her arms for a moment when the sight of a shadow flitted across the corner of her eyes. The Auroran quickly turned her head in the direction she had sensed the movement, her eyes landing on a somewhat overgrown section of grass off to the side of the road.

"There is nothing to be concerned about, Lady Oichi," the auburn-haired girl tensed up for a moment at hearing the title she had long ago abandoned, but masked it well and turned to her side, catching Kanbei a few steps ahead of her, moving in his usual, rigid fashion.

"I'm sorry?" the inflection of her voice was confused, combined with a small amount of shame at having been so obvious with her nervousness, and Kanbei craned his head slightly to see her in his peripheral vision.

"The terrain here is too flat to launch an ambush, if Pugilis even knows or cares that are approaching," they fell back into silence after his explanation, the girl taking a final wary glance before deciding that it was simply her eyes playing tricks on her and that she should trust Kanbei's assessment. Within a few minutes, the army was little more than a speck against the horizon as they continued their path, and the patch of grass that had drawn Oichi's attention stirred again.

* * *

Pugilis itself was a relatively small castle town; the walls and gates were low, the twins had noticed, around the same height as Aurora's but a bit thicker, while the interior of the town was relatively calm. They had been let in by the guards on duty, none of who seemed particularly concerned that there was a large army, having been bolstered by the ranks of the Violighters, marching through the tiled streets. Their captain, a well-toned boy around their age, was even escorting them to the Warlord, having stated that he wanted to meet with the two Warlords of Aurora when they arrived. Tadashi's eyes scanned over the buildings, all containing the same shades of whitish-grey and maroon, and then over the nondescript streets, which were nearly as calm as the few Pugilite warriors escorting them.

Inwardly, the brunette admitted he was slightly disappointed. Based on Motonari's description, he had been expecting the kingdom to be more rowdy, chaotic and hectic, but it was nearly as laid-back as the Greenleafer's own home, lacking even the business to it that Chrysalia or Aurora had. But it wasn't the same type of peacefulness, he noted. Greenleaf's was laidback, like there wasn't a care in the world, but the sensation he felt in the atmosphere was suspenseful, almost rigid, like the entire kingdom had been anticipating them and had been holding its breath. It reminded the Warlord of Violight in a way. But Tadashi set those thoughts aside for now, shifting his focus to the maroon-clad warrior in front on them.

"What did you say your name was?" in truth, the Pugilite had forgotten to introduce himself in his haste, but apparently Kazumi had been wondering the same question as him being as she asked. The boy spun around, somehow not breaking pace as he was now walking backwards so he could face them, and an embarrassed smile broke out on his face.

"Sorry; I'm Toyohisa. The Warlord's also my uncle," apparently the boy was not a particularly good conversationalist, as Toyohisa deftly turned back around after his reply, and that was all they managed to get out of him before they reached their destination. The stone structure they found themselves staring up at easily dwarfed the other buildings, maintaining the all too familiar color scheme of red on white, but was too round to be a conventional keep.

"What is... that?" the Pugilite had stepped to the side and turned to face them when they had arrived at the arched entrance, though it appeared from his overly stiff stance that staying put in one spot was taxing on him, and answered the sentiments of the male twin.

"This is Pugilis' arena," Toyohisa explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's also our barracks; Uncle should be inside. I'll take the two of you to him."

The co-Warlords exchanged glances for a moment before simultaneously looking at the gathered warriors behind them. Most were busy either talking amongst themselves or looking around at their surroundings with more curiosity than any form of concern or discomfort. The two exchanged looks again, Tadashi shrugged, and they followed Toyohisa deeper into the enormous structure.

The hallways were illuminated by multiple, small arched windows lining the walls that cast enough light to easily make out the path ahead, but also created a series of interweaving shadows that were somewhat unnerving. Silence, the only sounds being their boots echoing off the floors, was dominant during their twisting journey, and after multiple turns that Tadashi had determined Toyohisa knew by pure reflex, they arrived outside a large, wooden door. The warrior toyed around with the lock for a few seconds, loudly enough to alert the person on the other side that someone was entering, before unlatching the door and shoving it open with a loud creak.

"Uncle!" he shouted into the spacious room. "Aurora's arrived!"

There was a gruff acknowledgement from the inside, something that made its way out along with a cacophony of other sounds, and Toyohisa stepped to the side to allow the two entrance. They entered with no small amount of hesitation, and quickly realized that Toyohisa had brought them to a training room, if the bits of equipment in various conditions strewn about and mismatching patches of the wall where it had been broken and plastered over were any indication, instead of any conventional office. The Aurorans looked over to the source of the noise and were taken aback for a moment at what they saw; a mountain of a man, clearly more than a few decades their senior from the neatly combed gray hair and moustache atop his head, pummeling a sandbag with a flurry of casual punches, each causing the chain that it was suspended from to creak menacingly. He had taken notice of their presence out of the corner of his eye and ceased after delivering a particularly powerful punch, stepping forward in time to avoid the backswing of the bag.

"Conkeldurr," the Pokémon in question, sitting some distance away and surrounded by a mess of broken concrete slabs, immediately stopped its own assault on the material and slowly made its way over to Yoshihiro. The two twins stood in a bated silence while the older man scrutinized them, lips pursed as his gaze ran over seemingly every detail he could make out on them. The Eevee perched on the male Warlord's shoulder did its best to put on an intimidating face when the Pugilite's gaze landed on it, but all it seemed to do was entertain him by a miniscule amount. Finally, after he had decided he had sufficiently worn the two down, as now it was clear to see that both were a bit unnerved by the attention, only made worse by the presence of his partner, the Warlord let out a sigh.

"So, you two are the ones who've conquered most of the west?" the man's voice was like gravel, and contained no amount of endearment, but Tadashi could tell there was a small amount of eagerness to it as well.

"Yes," his reply was short, blunt, to the point, and seemed to satisfy the veteran as his visage lightened a little. Yoshihiro crossed his bulky arms, the corners of his lips curling upwards slightly.

"Most of the other Warlords around here are jokes, hardly worth the effort or time in fighting," the Auroran was inwardly relieved that Ginchiyo was not present. "But you two... You might be the first decent challenge I've had in a while. I know why you're here, but we do things a bit differently in Pugilis."

The massive man cut himself off for a moment, a nearly-unnoticeable narrowing of the eyes being any indication that he was debating something behind his stony countenance, but it ended as quickly as it began and Yoshihiro continued. "You have thirty minutes; make whatever preparations you need and come back with your four best warriors. We'll settle this then."

Having decided that settled any debate or questions, the Pugilite and his partner returned to their previous task of beating the stuffing out of inanimate objects, and Tadashi and Kazumi quickly exchanged glances once more. The female twin mouthed for them to discuss this outside, silently marveling at how much had been accomplished with only four sentences and a bit of staring, and her counterpart agreed, having already decided they were not really in a position to contest Yoshihiro's declaration. They quickly left the room behind, following Toyohisa once again as he led the out of the stadium to their now resting army, if a collection of warriors and Pokémon chatting amicably in the sun to pass the time could really be considered an army, and immediately drew the attention of almost everyone present.

A short barrage of questions followed from those closest, which tended to overlap into each other, but eventually the two managed to answer their way through all of them and explain the situation. Some of the warriors were suspicious at the development, some puzzled, some apathetic, but everyone agreed that there were better places to sort out everything than in front of what could equate as Pugilis' castle in the hot afternoon sun.

* * *

Thirty minutes passed by too quickly in Kazumi's opinion, being as they had barely just settled on who to bring with them to the battle before Toyohisa showed up, apparently having to run over a good portion of Pugilis to find them if the boy's flushed face was any indication, and informed them that Yoshihiro was waiting. They were quickly led back to the stadium, the majority of their army being directed down another hallway to the stands, while they followed the Pugilite directly to the battlefield. The Warlord could hear the roar of people above them, their cheers and chatter a stark contrast to the once silent hallways they had been led through not too long ago, and after a few minutes of wading through the dark hallways, she saw the light of the exit, made even brighter by the dimness that surrounded them. It seemed that every step they took towards it the atmosphere became more tense, the cacophony louder, the light brighter.

Toyohisa remained unfazed, walking straight into the archway. Hanbei gave Kanbei an optimistic smile, which completely unaffected the albino as he raised a shrouded arm to shield himself from the sight ahead. Ginchiyo only crossed her arms and increased her pace slightly, eyes darting down to the Spark Pokémon trotting besides her for a moment, while Muneshige smiled and scratched the beak of the Flying Type Pokémon roosting on his arm. Tadashi took the next step into the arena, having been closest to the Pugilite warrior, and the rest soon followed. Their appearance was met by a sudden increase in the din around them, the spectators filling the stands above them cheering wildly as they walked out into the flat battlefield. The maroon-clad Pugilite had already put some distance between them, having quickly moved to the side and was sprinting alongside the wall of the arena towards their soon-to-be opponents.

The towering figure of Yoshihiro, standing straight and unmoving like a colossus, dwarfing the other warriors and Pokémon standing nearby, was made out easily enough across the empty field. The crowd still roared even as the Warlord of Pugilis waited for his nephew to arrive by his side, and when he did a few seconds later the man raised a hand and the clamor died down almost instantly.

"This battle shall be against the Army of Aurora; the goal is too either seize and hold all the flags for two minutes out of thirty," it was then that the female twin became aware that there were four flags present in the arena, each located on one of the battlefield's curved corners, as well as the large clock built into the Warlord's box directly above the Pugilites. "Or to defeat all opponents."

Yoshihiro looked upwards, to the box above them. "Tadamoto; the field."

The person inside gave a nod in return, and disappeared deeper into the structure just as a few of the Aurorans had dared to take a look in the direction, and moments later the entire battlefield was seemingly overcome with a tremor. Dust accumulated across the ground shook upwards, but even through that, and her own tenuous footing and vision, Kazumi could plainly see that none of their opponents were overly concerned or surprised with the fact. There was little time to decide whether or not this was good, as the ground itself began shifting, breaking apart cleanly and moving as the dull, clanking sounds of grinding gears and chains laying underneath made themselves heard over confused and startled shouts, and when everything was finished the girl found herself looking at a vastly different battlefield than she had been moments before. The most obvious change was that their once clear view of the Pugilis Army was now obstructed by a large platform, but she could tell that the battlefield all around them had shifted, warping into a maze of obstacles and platforms, completed with the echoing sound of a bell signaling the beginning of the battle.

"Wha- What just happened?" Hanbei was too busy marveling at the sights around them, so Kanbei decided to answer Tadashi's question in his usual deadpan.

"I would assume they altered the battlefield in their favor," Kanbei quickly continued before the Warlord could issue a barbed retort. "This will prove troublesome."

Muneshige only smiled in response. "Not in the slightest; Staravia here can simply fly above and scout out a path for us."

"That still does not change that they are familiar with their surroundings and we are not," Ginchiyo, who had been busy observing the nearby routes, frowned and turned to face her retainer and the tactician.

"We have no time for prattle if we desire victory!" the Violighter's steely eyes landed on the sleepy tactician. "Hanbei."

Her call drew Hanbei out of his quiet coughing, and he immediately put his hands behind his back, smiled innocently, and turned to face them. "Right. Anyways, it doesn't really matter who has the advantage since we only have thirty minutes. We'll have to split up if we want to cover enough ground in time; one group should probably guard one of the banners while the other gets them."

"In that case," Kazumi began, talking a quick glance to the left before continuing. "Hanbei, Kanbei and I will head to the southeastern one and make sure it doesn't fall into their hands. I think it's the closest banner, so we shouldn't run into any trouble soon."

"All right. Good luck," Tadashi turned himself, and gave a nod in the direction of the two Violighters before heading in the path opposite to his sister's. Muneshige raised his arm and Staravia took to the skies, the three keeping their gaze half-fixated on its motions as they navigated the field.

While the Auroran Army went its separate paths, running about like Rattatas in a maze for all to see, the noise from the stands had resumed on a more quiet level. In the small section that a large portion of the army had been directed into, the tension hung the heaviest in the air, though it seemingly had no effect on the three youngest warriors. Masanori eagerly dug his hand into the bucket of popcorn that he had purchased, not bothering to finish chewing before standing up and shouting at the top of his lungs as if they could hear him.

"Go left! The other left!" Mitsunari groaned into his gauntlets.

"Sit down, you fool, you're embarrassing all of us," Kiyomasa had surprisingly said nothing that time, preferring to watch the battle unfold in relative silence, and Masanori looked down angrily at the auburn-haired boy.

"Like that big head of yours doesn't already draw enough attention," that jab seemed to spur Mitsunari into a more confrontational mood, as within seconds he was on his feet as well, staring down the other boy. Oichi sighed at the sight from one of the rows above, absentmindedly twirling a few strands of auburn hair around her finger and wondering if it would be wise to have Jiggglypuff use Sing on the two. She settled for a weary, muttered comment.

"It's hard to believe those two are best friends, sometimes..."

"Children are immature," Takakage stated sagely while Mitsunari and Masanori's argument began to veer off topic. Oichi blinked, the realization that the Greenleafer had been the one who said it taking a few seconds to sink in given how engrossed in his book he was, while Motonari let a sad smile cross his face. He reached down from his seat directly above the two and placed a hand on both their shoulders. The two looked up, Masanori in slight sheepishness at the realization of his display, and Mitsunari in slight annoyance that someone was touching him.

"Pay attention, now; every battle is a good opportunity to learn," Mitsunari, in a strange combination of reluctance and relief, slowly took his seat again, while Masanori plopped back into his before spinning around and looking back up at the semi-retired Warlord.

"Hey..." the black-haired boy began slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose while he looked at the strategist in a manner similar to one looking at a piece of art and trying to decipher its meaning. "How come you're not down there? Weren't they supposed to bring the strongest people or somethin'?"

Motonari ran a hand through the back of his hair and let out a chuckle.

"Oh, me and Servine aren't that strong," the Grass Snake Pokémon sitting next to him, silently munching on a Ponigiri while it watched the events below in mild disinterest, muttered something in agreement. Masanori seemed to disagree, but did little more than balk and scratch his head before Dosetsu tapped the tip of his cane on the stone a few times.

"Quiet. The real battle is about to start," the focus quickly shifted back to the trio closest below, watching as Tadashi, Ginchiyo and Muneshige encountered the four warriors that Yoshihiro had by his side when they first entered, one of them carrying one of the banners. The still airborne Starling Pokémon swooped downwards and dive-bombed a Machamp with Wing Attack before any of the Pugilites could issue out an order, shortly followed up with Luxio enveloping Timburr in an electrified tackle, building off its momentum to unleash another Spark on one of the other Fighting Types that Tadashi's Eevee had been staring down.

While the increasingly chaotic battle between the two armies unfolded, drawing more attention from the spectators with every second as the arcs of electricity and aerial maneuvers became increasingly volatile, very few people noticed Toyohisa and his partner quickly slipping along the sides of the coliseum, headed towards the southeastern banner.

"CHESTOOO!" the trio of Warlords, quietly discussing some matter or another, quickly spun around in the direction they had heard the war cry come from, just in time to see the maroon-clad warrior come charging out of the entrance closest to them, and a Scrafty deliver a High Jump Kick to the face of Kazumi's Eevee. Their shock had lasted as long as the element of surprise had for Toyohisa, and Hanbei wasted no time formulating a plan while Kazumi quickly recovered her now-unconscious partner and stepped back.

"Thunder Wave and Agility, Pikachu!" Kanbei was close behind.

"Smog," the current of electricity and purplish haze were spewed out to quickly for Toyohisa to react. Scrafty tried to move out of the way, but as close as it was to them given it's surprise attack, the Pokémon only managed to get so far before its muscles froze up at the numbing electric current. The Hoodlum Pokémon was then subjected to the nauseating fog, vision becoming distorted as burning tears filled its eyes. Toyohisa was too busy coughing to shout out an order, having to cover most of the lower half of his face and glare angrily through smog-induced tears at his obscured opponents, something which the two tacticians quickly capitalized on.

"Now, Electro Ball!" Pikachu began charging the spherical attack on the tip of its tail, while the Pugilite finally managed to cough out an audible order.

"Scrafty... Faint Attack on Lampent!" neither Hanbei or Kanbei seemed overly concerned with Toyohisa's command, so it came as a surprise to both of them when Scrafty bolted out of the poisonous haze, completely limber and deftly avoiding the other attack the Mouse Pokémon sent its way, and slammed into a startled Ghost Type.

"Ho-" Kanbei cut himself off with a shake of the head as Lampent tried to regain its balance, the realization coming to him as Pikachu put some distance between the Dual Type and Scrafty with another Electro Ball. "Shed Skin. Unfortunate. Counter with Confuse Ray."

The Lamp Pokémon gave a nod and summoned up an ethereal, faintly dim light, slowly creeping up on the Hoodlum Pokémon which was too busy trying to land a hit on Pikachu to notice. Toyohisa, however, did, and waited until it the status-inducing attack was dangerously close to call out.

"Throw Pikachu into the light!" Scrafty responded by grabbing hold of the Electric Type's tail, which was exposed given its latest spin, and prepared to throw the Pokémon into a collision course with its ally's attack. Hanbei, however, saw another chance.

"Now Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" the Pokémon's appendage was quickly covered in a metallic sheen, and it twisted with all of its might and flicked its tail, sending an unprepared Scrafty flying through the ghostly light. It landed in a crumpled heap a few feet away and attempted to stand only to immediately lose its balance.

"Extinguish this flame. Fire Spin."

"Electro Ball!"

"Protect, quickly!" the two attacks hastily met their marks, but when the fiery inferno, only fueled further by the electricity in the air, died down, Scrafty was still standing. The Pokémon was barely conscious, that was plain for anyone to see, but that was all Toyohisa needed.

"Defeat Lampent, Scrafty! Faint Attack!" before the albino could say otherwise, Lampent was slammed into a nearby wall without any problems, the opposing Fighting Type seemingly having overcome its confusion as well, and managed to roll out of the way of another Electro Ball. Scrafty got back to its feet, eyed the tired Electric Type with an amount of irritation, and quickly charged it in preparation for another High Jump Kick.

"Eevee! Now!" the ground right in front of the speeding Pokémon immediately gave out, to the surprise of all present, and a familiar ball of brown fur shot out and slammed into Scrafty, sending it stumbling back before Muneshige's Staravia finished it off with a swift Wing Attack to the midsection. Toyohisa looked to his right to face the newcomers with no small amount of shock, eyes darting to the banner the co-Warlord was holding before quickly retrieving his Pokémon.

"So, you bested Toyohisa as well," the various warriors present quickly looked up to see Yoshihiro and his partner standing up on the platform above them, two of banners attached to the back of his armor like weapons, eyeing the aftermath of the battle with a small amount of interest. The Pugilite then dropped from the ledge, him and his partner both landing nearby with a very heavy thump.

"Let's see how you handle us," the aging man's gaze shifted upwards for a second, eyeing the Flying Type preparing to swoop downwards for another attack. "Stone Edge and Hammer Arm!"

Conkeldurr slammed its two concrete pillars into the ground, sending a series of sharp, massive rocks skywards towards the Starling Pokémon. Barely a second had passed after the attack connected and Staravia began to plummet that the Fighting Type sped forwards and brought up the two grey slabs in front of Pikachu and Luxio. Both warriors shouted out commands, but they did little when the Muscular Pokémon swatted Luxio into the stadium wall, and hit Pikachu with enough force that it managed to knock over Hanbei when the Pokémon collided with him. Tadashi flinched at the sight, his Eevee taking more than a few steps back on quivering legs as both Yoshihiro and Conkeldurr turned to face him. The man opened his mouth to say something, but the sound that followed was of Conkeldurr letting out a pained grunt as a sudden arc of electricity made contact with it. Both Warlords turned in the direction of the defeated members of Aurora's Army, observing with varied reactions that Luxio had managed to stagger back to Ginchiyo's side.

"We refuse to be bested so easily!" had Tadashi had more time, he would have begrudgingly admitted to himself that he had gained a newfound respect of the Violighter, but he was too busy trying to figure out a way to reverse the course of the battle.

"Use Sand Attack, Eevee!" while the Evolution Pokémon was taking advantage of the momentary distraction provided by the Electric Type user, Tadashi stole a quick glance at the clock hanging from the Warlord's box.

_"Only seveb minutes left. We have to come up with something quickly,"_ Tadashi grit his teeth, eyed Yoshihiro, then met Ginchiyo's gaze. He could see a small amount of concern mixed with her usual demanding inflection that told him she was looking at him for the same reason he had stolen a glance in her direction; one hoping the other had come up with a plan to squeeze victory out of this debacle. Neither could give the other an answer. Yoshihiro seemed to pick up on their thoughts and grunted.

"Bulk Up, Conkeldurr," the Auroran saw the outline of the Pokémon still inside the vision-obscuring cloud of dust shift slightly, and he took another glance in Ginchiyo's direction to see Luxio charging up electricity. Any physical attacks were out of the question right now, and Luxio's Thunderbolt would be heavily mitigated by the Sand Attack that was slowly beginning to settle, which would make it a waste of time and energy. Their only hope was to unleash it the moment the dust began to settle, before Conkeldurr charged, but both knew that a single Thunderbolt would not bring the Fighting Type down. As Tadashi wondered whether or not he should have Eevee use Dig to by Luxio some time, debating whether or not his partner could reach their opponent in time and if he should just opt for the weaker and more vulnerable Quick Attack, a sickening feeling slowly began creeping up in his gut. It was the slow realization that, no matter what happened, anything they did would be insufficient. Retreat was out of the question, but with every second that passed it became increasingly obvious to him that the battle was hopeless, and he would have to bear it. He found himself loathing the feeling without any way to remedy it.

And then it happened, mercifully swift at that. The dust settled, and he made a split-second decision for Eevee to use Quick Attack on the Fighting Type. The Normal Type bounced harmlessly off Conkeldurr's thick frame, right before another current of electricity collided with the Pokémon. That attack produced better results than the previous, even going so far as to cause Yoshihiro's partner to flinch, but Luxio still ended up on the receiving end of a Hammer Arm regardless. All that remained was him and Eevee, and he could feel the poor Pokémon's fear as its opponent lumbered over to it, painstakingly raising its heavy arms before unleashing a Superpower on the final combatant.

Eevee was launched back to his boots, and the teen quickly scooped the unconscious Pokémon into his arms. The bell rang out, signaling the end of the battle officially, and most of the spectators broke out into a violent cheer. Yoshihiro approached him, and Tadashi looked up at him with an amount of anger that did not go unnoticed by the victor. The final attack had been overkill, its purpose more so to convey the hopelessness of his situation than anything else, and Eevee was the one to suffer needlessly for it. Yoshihiro's only reaction was a huff and a few more brusque words, as if he was talking to a child throwing a fit.

"Come back when you've trained some more," Tadashi couldn't remember the exact words he used, blinded by an anger-fueled desire to knock the Pugilite down a few pegs, but he had challenged Yoshihiro to a full battle. It seemed reasonable enough to him then; only six warriors out of their entire army had actually fought in this battle, and Kazumi, Hanbei and Kanbei's Pokémon were already beginning to recover, Muneshige and Ginchiyo would probably have to be kept in the back but could still be useful from afar, and he had already proven that his presence caused more harm than good, so nothing much would change from his absence. What little rational part of his mind remained had expected someone to object, though he supposed the challenge had shocked the others into silence, but surprisingly all Yoshihiro did was smile.

"Alright, boy, I'll humor you. We'll take this outside."

* * *

It felt like a dream to him. It certainly played out like one, at least.

The Warlord of Aurora vaguely remembered both Kazumi and Oichi asking if he was feeling well, and him brushing both off with a barely an acknowledgement. Motonari and Dosetsu had tried to dissuade him from fighting, even if the former conceded their superior numbers was a point in their favor, amongst the various other factors against them. But none of that mattered to him; there was still something in their favor, and thus a small chance that they could win, that he could redeem himself. Kazumi had tried to put her foot down when it became apparent that no one could talk some sense into him and call off the battle, but Motonari had pointed out that Yoshihiro would not relent so easily, especially if their half-formed army was caught in gridlock while their Warlords debated.

The battle itself -no, battles were something that both sides had a chance to win, as he would continually remind himself later- came soon after, and it too passed like a whirlwind. Motonari had expected Yoshihiro to lead the charge and had done everything he could to prepare for it, but preparations tended to do little in the face of a storm.

Tadashi watched aloofly as the front lines shattered, the Warlord of Pugilis brushing aside anyone that stood in his path, and continued to watch helplessly as they were surrounded and cut off from the other warriors, Yoshihiro continuing on his breakneck pace towards them. It was only a matter of minutes before the Warlord of Pugilis arrived, and with each passing second that familiar feeling of hopelessness, now buoyed by an increasing sense of uselessness and humiliation, quickly replaced his rage. Dosetsu and Luxray fell back not before long as well, though they had probably fared better than almost everyone who had gone up against the man combined, which meant the only obstacle left between them and Yoshihiro's rampage was Motonari and Servine.

That would have stayed true, at least, had not a sudden chord precipitated a blast of compressed water at the Fighting Type, throwing it off balance and giving Servine the upper hand for the moment.

"You called?" Tadashi craned to look at the direction the voice had come from, wondering if his neck had always felt so stiff in the process, and caught sight of Motochika approaching, warriors from Fontaine and their partners running down onto the battlefield behind him.

"Thank heavens you arrived," Motonari sounded relieved, and he spared a quick glance over his shoulder to where he and his sister were. "Lady Kazumi, please; organize a retreat!"

The direness in the strategist's voice spoke for itself, and within a few minutes the reinforcements from Fontaine had allowed them to begin a hasty retreat. The Auroran was too busy watching over the battlefield in morbid fascination and self-loathing to hear Kazumi's shouts for him, and was only shaken out of his stupor when he felt a hand, smaller than his, somewhat clammy and fidgety, slip into his and begin pulling him away. His body instinctively took over from there, mind still too hazy to process what was happening, and began running down the road as well.

* * *

"Heh..." the Pugilite eyed the fleeting figures of the Aurora Army as they began to disappear across the horizon with a small amount of amusement, lips curling upwards while he strained his eyes in the face of the sun. "I got to hand it to them; the Aurorans sure know how to run."

Yoshihiro shook his head and too a step forwards. "No matter. We've forced them into a corner, and it's only a little while longer to Ignis. Let's see how they fare now."

"Not so fast!" the path of Pugilis' Army was suddenly occupied by a cream-wearing warrior, who appeared from practically nowhere. Yoshihiro took note of the grass stains covering his trousers, but most of his attention was focused on the youth's face before he finally recognized him.

"So you're that runt from Ignis? I was under the impression you weren't with Aurora," Hideyoshi's expression lightened a bit, and the aging man caught the sight of other warriors approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not. But if anyone's gonna knock my rival silly, it's gonna be me!" The Warlord's eyes narrowed, lips pursing slightly and he leaned forward a bit in a display of mild annoyance and intimidation.

"Just step aside, boy," The exile only smiled back, letting his Chimchar drop off his shoulder and onto the road beneath him.

"No can do," Yoshihiro's look diminished into one of muted respect.

"So be it. Superpower."


	27. Chapter 27

It was an abnormally hot day in Ignis, especially considering that it was in the waning days of fall, which made the already humid conditions of the kingdom nearly unbearable. Many of the unintended occupants had shed most of their armor and any sort of heavy clothing in an attempt to cope with the muggy atmosphere, but even then, gathered in Ignis' opulent throne room with most of the torches doused, the temperature was barely tolerable.

"Where... is... Pugilis?" Mitsunari wheezed out in slight desperation, probably hoping for something to take his mind of the heat. He had insisted on keeping his headdress on, despite multiple suggestions to the contrary, and now was sweating profusely and red in the face, Kazumi noted. The co-Warlord, leaning back in Hideyoshi's admittedly comfy throne, turned to look at Ginchiyo.

"Any word from Muneshige?" the young woman tugged at the sleeves of her training uniform before answering, apparently as uncomfortable with being out of her armor as she would have been in it under the conditions.

"No. Even with the Zebstrika, Ignis' terrain is still difficult to maneuver through," Kanbei, who was probably the only one present who had refused to make any adjustments to his attire, and Kazumi wondered for a second how he could not only wear those bulky robes in the sweltering heat, but seemed to be completely unaffected as well, had looked up from some reports on the castle he had been reading. The albino's eyebrows were furrowed slightly, lips set into a firm frown, giving the appearance of someone truly vexed.

"I cannot fathom what would have compelled Pugilis to have suddenly stopped their pursuit," Motonari, sitting against one of the room's marble columns and fanning a lethargic Servine, sighed in agreement.

"I must confess that the nature of this lack of movement has eluded me as well. At first I thought they might just be buying time for a night assault, as unlikely as one might be from Yoshihiro, but there's been no sign of them so far." As opposed to Kanbei, Hanbei had fully embraced the near-sauna conditions of the castle, and was wearing little more than his pants and large coat.

"Either way, we shouldn't look a gift Rapidash in the-" the tactician was overcome with a sudden fit of coughing before he could finish his proverb.

"Hanbei?" he waved off the twin's concerned question before wiping at the corners of his mouth.

"I'm fine," the raven haired boy's signature smile returned to his face. "It's probably just the heat."

His answer seemed to satisfy most of the room, but Kanbei squinted somewhat when gazing at his counterpart. _"Did I just see a faint speck of-"_

"Kanbei?" the tactician in black refocused on the Warlord who had called out to him, prefacing his acknowledgement with a small bow.

"Yes, my Lady?" her sapphire orbs looked down on him contemplatively, and the albino raised an eyebrow in barely repressed curiosity.

"What's your opinion about the situation?" Kanbei blinked in response, before putting a hand to his chin.

"Regardless of whatever held Pugilis back from attacking yesterday, it is undoubtable that they will come today. Yoshihiro, and the rest of Pugilis, relies on brute strength; a frontal assault will be the most likely form of attack, meaning that the bridge connecting the castle to the city will be key to the battle," Kazumi, having placed her head in the palm of her hand while listening to the albino's analysis, sat upright.

"Do you think we can hold it?" the Ignite took a quick look around the room, and, maintaining his usual emotionless tone replied in the negative. Both Ginchiyo and Dosetsu looked less than pleased at Kanbei's assessment, but refrained from voicing any discontentment, and Kazumi sighed and slunk back deeper into the posh material, fingers going to her temples.

"Then what can we do?" the grassy-haired strategist cleared his throat, smiling softly.

"Simple, my Lady; we change the field of battle," Hanbei yawned and stretched his arms, but still managed to voice an agreement.

"Yeah, we could use Ignis' cave system. But the question is how to get them to go in..." Kanbei let out a hum in acknowledgement.

"Whatever we devise, we must be quick about it," the female twin gave a nod and slowly stood up, descending the few marble steps that led up to the throne.

"I'll leave you three to that, then. Dismissed," the Warlord quickly slipped through one of the side doors in the back while everyone else filed out, leaving the room vacant within the span of a few seconds.

* * *

"Tadashi?" the Warlord looked up from the small book in his hands at hearing the muffled voice from the other side of the door. He let out a weary sigh, closed and placed the book on the floor next to him, and brushed a few strands of loose hair aside.

"It's unlocked," the door creaked open afterwards, and Kazumi slowly stepped in. The female twin noticed that the room remained relatively untouched, save for the fact that most of the pillows on the single bed had been allocated by her counterpart. One of them was near him, giving her a sneaking suspicion he had slept on the floor, the others having been formed into a small bed that his still-fatigued partner was resting on. She stole a glance at the book next to him, resting atop his discarded maedate, before taking a few cautious steps forward. Tadashi watched her as she approached, silvery eyes peeking out underneath his freed bangs with an amount of trepidation. He had locked himself away in the room within a few minutes of them arriving, and had stayed cooped up since then. It was clear for her to see he felt a bit uncomfortable, and Kazumi smiled sadly in an attempt to reassure him.

"Hey..." she sat down across from him when Tadashi only looked down in response. "How's Eevee?"

He looked up, over to his partner, then slowly back to his twin. "Still resting. I doubt we'll be able to fight anytime soon."

"Brother-"

"About that, actually," his voice was soft, lips turned downwards slightly. "I've been thinking."

A sense of dread began to well up in the girl across from him, and she folded her hands in her lap while trying best to not show it. "What?"

"Maybe... Maybe it's time I should go," Kazumi's blood went cold at her brother's musing. She could tell he was serious. "I don't think I'm cut out for being a Warlord."

The girl had been rendered dumbstruck for a moment, mouth slightly ajar and eyes shaky, but she quickly recovered. "W-Where will you go!?"

Her voice was a bit more frantic than she would have liked to admit, but Tadashi remained seemingly unaffected. He fingered the edge of his scarf pensively, and she wondered how long the bags under his eyes had been there. "Don't know. Maybe I'll just do what Keiji does and just wander around Ransei."

His frown grew deeper. "Maybe I'll come back when I've gotten stronger and help out, if you'll still need my help by then."

Her lips parted into a shaky frown. "Tadashi, please-"

Oichi's sudden appearance in the doorway cut her off, a strange mixture of relief and frustration overcoming her for a few seconds. "Forgive me, my Lord, my Lady, but Muneshige's reported in, and Pugilis is on the march."

Kazumi looked over her shoulder. "Thank you, Oichi, I'll join you in a minute."

"We'll talk about this later, Tadashi," it was more of a weary plea than a statement, but Tadashi nodded hesitantly in acquiescence nonetheless. The brunette then grew a thin smile, something that did not escape her notice, and turned back to the book next to him.

"Do you know whose room this was?" her face dropped a bit at his question, first trying to figure out why he had asked her that before deciding that it was simply his way of saying that nothing had changed between them, and decided to go along.

Kazumi took a swift look around the room, observing a few decorations and other personal affects scattered around the otherwise spotless room, and decided that the warrior Naoshige had hired to look over the castle in their absence, Takatora, she believed was his name, had done a decent job of keeping up the place. But at remembering that Hanbei and Kanbei had settled back into their old one, not to mention the fact that her counterpart wouldn't have brought up the subject if it did not belong to someone they did not know, the Warlord quickly put together the pieces. The twin's face dropped, a look of slight alarm overtaking her previously neutral persona. "Oh no..."

Tadashi picked up the small, worn book and turned it around for her to read the sloppily written title emblazoned across the leather. Kazumi's eyes widened in horrified shock. "You've been reading his journal!?"

"It's not my fault that Hideyoshi forgot to take it when he left," he countered halfheartedly, a humorous glint in his eyes asserting itself as he flipped through the pages. "I particularly like the part where all of Kanbei's robes were 'mysteriously' dyed pink, though Hanbei's many sleepwalking exploits come in close too. Oh, not to mention the entry where Hideyoshi nearly burned down the town on his first day as Warlord."

"Give me that," Kazumi muttered, snatching the book out of the amused boy's loose grip without any resistance, slamming it shut. "Honestly, brother, you should be ashamed of yourself."

"Yeah," Tadashi's features hardened after his lackadaisical comment. "Just make sure you return it to Hideyoshi when you see him again."

"Tadashi, you're not-" the white-clad Auroran cut herself off with a shake of the head. "No; now's not the time. We can finish this later, but right now we need to focus on making it out of Ignis to begin with."

"Fine," he cast a glance in his partner's direction. "But don't expect me to be of use."

Kazumi stood, brushed off some of the dust on her skirt, tucked the journal under her arm, and left the room with a greater purpose than when she had entered. Tadashi sat in silence for a moment, counting the notches in the floorboards while mulling over the situation, before standing with a hollow chuckle, gently scooping the Evolution Pokémon into his arms, and following his sister's steps.

* * *

"There they are," Hanbei muttered from his place at the top of the bridge, purple eyes squinted slightly as he strained to make out the figures of the approaching enemy over the harsh afternoon sunlight. The Auroran looked down at her partner, the Normal Type was slowly trotting around in circles, the anticipation of the impending battle clearly driving it stir crazy, and then shifted her gaze to the antsy tactician next to her.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" the boy in white lowered his hand, the corners of his lips curling downwards as he did so. His gaze remained firmly fixed ahead, past the collage of warriors and Pokémon standing resolute in front of them and towards the maroon of the approaching army, but spared a glance out of the corner of his eye.

"If they buy it, sure, but there's still the matter of Yoshihiro..." Kazumi nodded in agreement.

"About that; I know we need bait so he doesn't interfere with the trap, but why me instead of Motonari? He'd be able to hold his own much better against Yoshihiro, not to mention Eevee's type disadvantage."

Kanbei exhaled almost amusedly, expression remaining as reserved as usual, though for a moment both thought they saw the shadow of a smirk cross his face. "Your mere status as Warlord makes you a prime target, my Lady, especially given your Eevee's disadvantages."

If there had ever been a smirk on taller tactician's face, it would have been perfectly complimented by his tone. Hanbei quickly drew Kazumi's attention back to him with a more relaxed statement. "Eh, not to mention that putting Motonari and the two of us together would be like just hanging a sign over our heads saying that we were up to something."

"Regardless, now is not the time to be debating the plan," the black-clad youth's comment drew their focus back to the front, where the warriors from Pugilis were rapidly approaching theirs. Kazumi gritted her teeth as the first lines clashed, warriors on both sides hastily shouting out orders while Pokémon charged into the fray of battle. Bursts of water and arcs of electricity flew overhead, accompanied by the various cries of the Pokémon launching them, bombarding the melee that had broken out at the base of the bridge in a seemingly random fashion. Her breathing became a bit more pitched as she watched the battle increase in ferocity, nervousness slowly creeping up as more and more warriors and their partners grew ever-closer to their location at the top of the structure.

"Their Warlord's here!" the Auroran could not tell where or who the shout exactly came from, but that mattered little; the whole Pugilis Army was now aware of the fact that one of the enemy commanders was enticingly close, and it was made quickly apparent that the opportunity to defeat her had filled them with a renewed vigor. But the focus of the three was less on the battle raging in front of them, and more on the edge of the town in the distance. Yoshihiro's frame was easily made out, distinguishable from the few others that surrounded it, standing as unmoving as the buildings that flanked it.

"He's not moving..." Hanbei muttered irately.

"Then we must convince him to," Kanbei took a few steps forwards, towards the melee, before being enveloped by it seconds later. Hanbei and Kazumi exchanged glances, the girl let out a pent-up breath, and they followed the albino into the fray. From his own vantage point away from the conflict, Yoshihiro eyed their movement with detached interest.

"Time to join the battle," Toyohisa moved forwards without hesitation, but the retainer on the other side of the aging Warlord looked up quizzically.

"But you said it was a trap, sir," Yoshihiro gave a nod in affirmation.

"It is, Tadamoto," the grey-haired man's eyes narrowed slightly. "That strategist of theirs would never hinge the fate of a battle on a bridge alone; he'll have something else up his sleeve. But if one of Aurora's Warlords is joining the fray, then that means they're getting desperate for us to spring it."

A confident grin broke out on his scarred face. "So let's give them what they want."

The trio then raced forward into the battle. At the sight of their approach, Kanbei looked to Hanbei and gestured in their direction, the latter nodding and quickly ordering his Pikachu to unleash an Electro Ball skywards, an action the opposing Warlord made a note of. The two tacticians and their Warlord began to slowly ascend back up the bridge as Yoshihiro headed into the fray along with Toyohisa, though he stopped his charge abruptly, letting the other two pass him by and head into the melee. Rather, he flashed a knowing smile in their direction, something that caused the trio overlooking the battle to simultaneously pale, and then turned to face the reinforcements that had appeared and were charging with the intent of unleashing a pincer on the attackers.

"Toyohisa!" the maroon-encumbered warrior looked over his shoulder, quickly shifted his attention to the area that his uncle was pointing at, and then returned with a nod.

"Understood, Uncle! Charge!" the warriors nearest to the boy broke off their individual battles without hesitation, giving the beleaguered Aurorans only a moment's rest before Yoshihiro devoted himself to trying to break through the cordon of warriors guarding the bridge. Hanbei spared a nervous glance towards the additional warriors; Dosetsu was trying to lead a charge to break through a particularly thin section in their lines, Ginchiyo and Luxio were busy dueling with Toyohisa and Scrafty, while Motochika was trying to rally the remaining warriors under the unexpected offensive. The scarred Violighter scowled as Luxray came down on a Machoke with a Thunder Fang, knocking the Pokémon over before it managed to roll out from under the Gleam Eyes Pokemon as another Fighting Type came to its aid.

"Stand aside," the two warriors and their partners made no motion in response to his growled demand. Dosetsu's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Rain Dance and Thunder!"

Luxray slammed its forepaws down into the rocky ground and let out a mighty roar. The sky darkened seconds later, a few small drops of liquid landing down on the scorching hot ground and evaporating instantly into small pillars of steam, but the drizzle quickly turned into a vicious downpour. Many of the warriors and Pokémon seemed relieved by the sudden shift in weather, the icy condensation and the fog-like steam that was slowly rising from the ground providing a welcome change to the stifling heat, but any sort of relief they had was shattered when large bolts of lightning crashed into the fray. The two Pugilites and their partners that had been standing in front of him unflinching had quickly broken and ran, one of the Pokémon getting stuck in the process. The retired Warlord began to hobble forward, deeper into the panicked battle, but Motochika's voice caused him to stop and turn.

"Dosetsu, we need to fall back. We're overwhe- Fury Cutter, Dewott!" the Violighter let out a frustrated growl before sighing and shaking his head disappointedly, sending drops of water flying.

"Fine. Everyone, fall back! Use the steam as cover!" with a surprising amount of speed, and a few more well timed attacks, the failed ambush managed to disengage and begin a retreat. Yoshihiro spared a glance in their direction while Conkeldurr brought its concrete slabs down on an unfortunate opponent, scoffed, and shifted his gaze to Toyohisa.

"Don't let them escape, boy!" the younger warrior spared a glance back in his direction.

"Yes, Uncle! Charge!" Kazumi let out a frosty sigh of relief when she saw Toyohisa lead a noticeable amount of the opposing warriors in pursuit of their allies, before shifting her gaze back to the battle in anxiety.

"Looks like they bought it," Hanbei muttered. "Now all we have to do is keep Yoshihiro occupied lo-"

He was cut off by said Warlord charging his way through the thick of the battle, knocking aside any warrior or Pokémon that tried to halt his advance before coming to a stop at reaching the trio. Hanbei's face dropped. "Crud."

Yoshihiro ignored the comment altogether; the aging man's gaze was focused solely on the soaked girl in the center. "I commend you for having the courage to lead from the front."

She remained silent, preferring to try to stare him down. The man smirked, none of the three knowing whether it was because he was pleased by her resolve, or just found the sight of a girl decades younger than him and a few heads shorter trying to intimidate him funny. "Let's see how you hold up against us. Stone Edge!"

"Dodge and counter with Shadow Ball, Eevee!"

"Shroud yourself with Fire Spin."

"Thunder Wave, Pikachu!" due to the lack of natural ground underneath them, Yoshihiro's Conkeldurr improvised using the two large blocks of concrete in its bulky hands, rushing forward and swinging them downwards like hammers. Eevee easily dodged the overwhelming attack, which tore through the wood where it had been standing, unleashing a shadowy sphere of energy at the Pokémon in the process. Lampent quickly brought up a wall of flames that forced Conkeldurr to halt for a moment before it effortlessly cut through them with a single swipe, but it had provided enough time for the Dual Type to escape the reach of the Fighting Type. Pikachu took advantage of the fact that the back of its massive opponent was turned to it and unleashed a wide arc of electricity, causing the Muscular Pokémon to seize up mid-motion.

Though Yoshihiro didn't seem overly-concerned by the development, the trio capitalized on the development regardless. They knew that, paralyzed or not, trying to engage the Pokémon up close was the equivalent of suicide, but frozen as it was, it was vulnerable to a barrage from a distance. Pikachu occupied itself with Agility, Eevee charged up a Shadow Ball, and Lampent unleashed a Confuse Ray on the stunned Pokémon. Conkeldurr remained motionless, save for the occasional twitch as it tried to charge forwards, but was forced back with a grunt as the Ghost Type attack collided with it, quickly followed by the ray of light encircling it. Yoshihiro remained stony-faced as Conkeldurr took a shaky step forwards, only to get slammed in the side with an Electro Ball, the impact nearly knocking the Pokémon over. The barrage began to pick up, and succeeded in drawing Yoshihiro out of impassiveness.

"Conkeldurr?" the Pokémon slowly looked over its shoulder and gave a stiff nod, managing to sidestep another element orb. Another grin broke out on Yoshihiro's face.

"Superpower!" the Fighting Type hoisted the concrete pillars above its head before slamming them down into the bridge, dangerously close to the triumvirate of opponents it was fighting against. The sheer impact of the attack knocked both Eevee and Pikachu back, both Pokémon having avoided being hit directly while Lampent, sharing in the shock of its partner, simply floated higher to avoid the blast. The tacticians and Warlord visibly flinched.

"Wha-" the bulky man let out a hearty laugh.

"Conkeldurr's ability is Guts, kid; you'll find your tricks won't work that well against us," Yoshihiro's face then resettled into its prior stony disposition, large hands balling up into fists as he took a step forwards. "Might makes right! Superpower once more, Conkeldurr!"

The Pokémon charged forwards again, seizing up for a moment before managing to push through the status condition and carry on. Pikachu narrowly avoided the attack with another Agility, Eevee was not as fortunate and was sent flying back, while Lampent took the opportunity to conjure another ghostly ball of light and launch it at the massive Fighting Type. Conkeldurr retaliated with a well-timed Stone Edge, shattering the attack and slamming Lampent into the wood of the bridge. Pikachu launched another Electro Ball into the Pokémon's back seconds after, the residual water left over from the dissipated storm and speed gap between the two remaining combatants large enough that Conkeldurr was knocked back, before turning around and preparing to unleash another Superpower on the final opponent. The Electric Mouse Pokémon effortlessly avoided the crushing counterattack with another Agility, lashing out at the Fighting Type's exposed side with an Iron Tail in the process. The extra attack quickly turned against the Electric Type when Conkeldurr took advantage of the Pokémon's proximity to swipe out at it, knocking Pikachu back up the bridge towards the trio. The Pokémon lumbered forward again, its movements sluggish as the paralysis kicked in again, but a sudden sharp gust of air cut into its back before it could reach its beleaguered target. Everyone turned around to see Muneshige, usual disconcerted smile and all, standing at the edge of the melee with Staravia circling above him.

"Looks like we arrived in time," Yoshihiro spared a quick glance past the decorated warrior, scowling as he quickly noticed that a number of Auroran warriors had fallen on the back of his remaining warriors as well.

_"Clever. But if they think isolating and surrounding us will win the battle for them, they're sorely mistaken."_ Muneshige carried on, ignoring the look on the Pugilite's scarred face.

"Please; feel free to fall back, my Lady. Me and Staravia will hold this brute off," Kazumi gave a nod accompanied with a rushed thanks, and the trio quickly fled past the two and through the thicket of the still-raging battle. The greying man spent a second wondering why they didn't flee into the castle itself, but put that thought aside and focused on the warrior in front of him.

"So, you're Shoun's boy?" the Violighter's smile remained unwavering, and he brushed a few strands of hair out of his face before answering.

"I believe we're beyond the point of words," Yoshihiro chuckled.

"I like you. Stone Edge!"

"Dodge and counter with Wing Attack," the Starling Pokémon circled around, easily avoiding the arced attacks of its massive opponent, before swooping downwards. The Pokémon's brownish wings had begun to glow a brilliant white, leaving behind streak as it sped downwards and slashed across the Fighting Type's midsection.

"Grab it!" Conkeldurr, despite looking like the super-effective attack had managed to knock the wind out of it, quickly reached out and latched onto the Flying Type's lengthy tail feathers. Staravia's movement was abruptly halted, the Pokémon letting out a pained chirp as it struggled against the Muscular Pokémon's iron grip that threatened to tear out its down if it resisted any harder, before it was swung up into the air and slammed into the wood of the bridge by Conkeldurr. Yoshihiro let out a gruff acknowledgement.

"Finish this with Hammer Arm," the maroon-caped warrior blanched as Conkeldurr lifted up one of its grey pillars.

"Quickly, Air Slash!" Staravia flapped its wings upwards, sending another wave of sharp air into Conkeldurr's chest. The Pokémon stumbled back and Staravia attempted to escape, only for what would have once been a finishing blow to come down and swipe the Pokémon back to its partner's side. Muneshige reached down and helped Staravia stand back up again, Conkeldurr slowly lumbering forward all the while.

"Conkeldurr!" the Pokémon looked over its shoulder and gave a nod, preparing to unleash another Superpower on its ragged opponent, before suddenly seizing up again. Muneshige let out a pent up breath.

"Use Roost, quickly," Staravia quickly settled into the curative move, but both reeled back in shock when Conkeldurr charged forwards.

_"Faking paralysis!?"_ there was not time to react; the Pokémon slammed into Staravia and sent the Dual Type sprawling back, unconscious. Yoshihiro huffed and turned around, seemingly satisfied with the outcome of the battle and no longer concerned about his flabbergasted opponent, and began marching to the castle gates with his partner struggling to catch up. Muneshige took a look back at the battle raging behind him; reinforcements or not, it was plain to see that the tide was beginning to turn against them, even if both sides were clearly exhausted and had far less warriors participating than when they first began. Muneshige muttered something under his breath, and picked up the downed avian Pokémon, one of its talons still twitching.

"We'll have to retreat!" For their part, the Pugilis warriors seemed perfectly content to let their equally exhausted opponents escape and instead fall in behind Yoshihiro, who was standing in front of the keep's gates with Conkeldurr.

"Superpower, Conkeldurr," moments later the large iron gates of Ignis Castle were blasted out of their hinges, slamming into the walls behind them, and even causing the doors to the throne room to fly open. The warriors behind him rushed into the castle with their partners, immediately fanning out across the various pathways, while Yoshihiro and Conkeldurr remained in the ravaged antechamber. He reached into a small pouch dangling from his belt, pulling out a handful of berries and shifting through them, before handing the desired ones to the Pokémon.

"Eat these, catch your breath and then use Bulk Up," Conkeldurr nodded in recognition and Yoshihiro returned to surveying the damage around him. Only a few seconds passed before one of the warriors returned, out of breath, and gave a quick bow.

"I found nothing, Lord Yoshimoto!" the man raised an eyebrow, opened his mouth to speak, but the appearance of another warrior from the throne room caused him to stop.

"The throne room is vacant as well, my Lord," Yoshihiro grimaced.

"So, the target was Toyohisa's forces all along? They'll probably be using Ignis' caves to launch an ambush... " his grin returned and he looked back to the two warriors. "All right, me and Conkeldurr will go on ahead. Join up when everyone's finished."

"Yes, Lord Yoshihiro!"

* * *

Ignis' cave network was both dark and somewhat humid. The former was natural to caves in general, the latter was usually attributed to the veins of magma that flowed deep beneath the rock. Combined, they made the conditions nearly unbearable, and Oichi strained to make out the silhouette of the male twin. His breathing, somewhat heavy, was heard easily enough to confirm his continued presence, and after slowly becoming acquainted to the darkness after blowing out the nearby candle to ensure nothing gave away their ambush, the girl could begin to make out a slight difference in the shadows across from her where the Warlord sat slumped against the rock wall of the cave. The shouts of battle still occasionally found themselves to their location deeper within the cave, echoing off the walls and giving the illusion that it was much closer than it actually was, but Oichi had grown accustomed to them enough that they no longer overly concerned her.

She had volunteered to accompany him, being as their plan had involved abandoning Ignis' castle altogether and neither he or Eevee were fit to battle. The auburn-haired girl recalled that, much to her surprise, Motonari had actually wanted her to fight on the front lines, saying that Jigglyupff's Sing would be an important asset to the battle. She had declined respectfully, pointing out that both Hanbei and Kanbei could easily substitute for her without the type disadvantage, and Kazumi had agreed that she should go with her brother. Oichi knew her motivation. And so, the two had been directed to a deeper part of the cave in the short time before the battle. Silence hung as heavy in the air as the darkness around them until Oichi cleared her throat.

"Lo- Tadashi?" though addressing him without the title felt uncomfortable, it was the least she could do for him. It took a few seconds for him to respond, he had said nothing to her throughout the battle, simply having slumped against the wall and gazed down at the rock floor with a distant, almost glassy, look in his eyes. She had wondered what was running through his head, but his reply brought her back to her previous question.

"Yes, Oichi?" his tone was restrained but she could hear the disappointment behind it.

"Why-" the pink-clad Auroran hesitated, debating whether or not it would be good for him to bring up the topic, but ultimately put those quarrels aside. "Why do you want to leave?"

She didn't need to see him to know that he was shocked. A few seconds passed, an uneasy silence reemerging between the two, and for a moment she worried that he would simply no longer speak to her before his voice cut through the quiet. "You heard?"

"Yes... I'm sorry, L-" he cut her off with a heavy sigh.

"No, Oichi. This is all my fault. One mistake after another, I feel like nothing changes. We keep fighting, and my mistakes keep hurting everyone around me. If I stay, I'll be endangering you and everyone else, and if I leave, I'll be abandoning all of you," a painfully drawn out breath followed.

"I never thought being a Warlord would be this difficult," Tadashi's usually energetic voice cracked, followed by another sharp breath. "I just don't know what to do."

For once, Oichi was at a loss at how to respond to the desperation she heard in his voice, opening her mouth but then closing it when no words would come. For everything she had been through, being a Warlord was not one of them, and she fumbled around for the discarded matchbox to relight the candle, hoping that she would be able to come up with something to say in the few seconds between. The soft, orange glow returned to their surroundings moments later, chasing away many of the shadows, and her mind derailed as she got a good look at his face. There was only so much light, and so shadows still remained, crisscrossing across him and his visage, but she could still see that his eyes were red and somewhat puffy, lips shaking. The Warlord looked vulnerable, almost.

Something inside her stirred. Perhaps it contained pity, certainly concern, but it was some unknown, empathetic feeling that made her want to give him some form of comfort. But before she could say or do anything to reassure him, Tadashi spoke again.

"After you left your home, Oichi, why did you come to Aurora?" the girl didn't know why he asked her that, suspecting that it was partly to shift the topic, but obliged nonetheless. She put a hand to her chin and glanced at the ground, digging through memories that she preferred to keep buried.

* * *

_The weather was good, she noted, but it was a small mercy compared to everything else. The girl, exhausted and steps shaky, pulled the old, ragged shawl around her closer as a gust of breeze cut across the farmlands on the outskirts of Aurora's hamlet. When she entered the town, her and Jigglypuff easily blending in with the hustle and bustle of daily business, Oichi slowly reflected on her journey._

_Ujiyasu had been kind enough to give her the heavy cloth draped around her shoulders, along with some money and food, the latter two which she was running low on, but wouldn't take her in when she asked. Whether or not he was concerned for her or about her, she was still trying to figure out, but in the end it was irrelevant; the Cragspurite was not willing to take the chance, and she continued on her aimless journey as fast as her legs would carry her. The reaction from Shingen was a bit more warm; he at least let her stay the night in the castle before sending her on her way as well, given how late she arrived in Terrera._

_No one recognized her in Pugilis, or if they did they simply didn't care, but she could never live in such a place. The incessant conflict quickly proved to be to much for her, and she had left of her own will within a few days. No one noticed her absence. Ignis was far too hot for her tastes as well, and so she continued south. She originally planned on Greenleaf, but upon hearing that apparently its Warlord was little better than Nobunaga, she settled in favor of the kingdom's neighbor to the northeast. Aurora was a quiet place; mainly a farming community that would have gone completely unnoticed on maps if it weren't for its strategic location in the dead center of Ransei's southwestern peninsula. She hoped that her journey would finally be able to come to an end here. The thought of returning to her brother had crossed her mind on more than one occasion when the journey had been particularly arduous; he probably wouldn't care if she returned or that she even left in the first place, but those thoughts were quickly suppressed when she remembered the sight of Avia burning against the night sky._

_A sudden tugging on the hem of her skirt brought her back to the present, and she looked down to see Jigglypuff looking back up at her. The Pokémon tugged a few more times, pointing to a nearby Ponigiri stand. She smiled sadly, working her way through the crowd and buying one of the items for the famished Pokémon. She turned back around and reentered the crowd, the Normal Type absentmindedly following her while munching on the food, but her path was suddenly halted when she collided with someone and fell down with a pained 'oof'._

_"Ah, forgive me for not paying attention," she instinctively reached up and grabbed the extended hand, wincing slightly at the stinging sensation from the fresh cuts across her palm, and was quickly back on her feet. Refocusing her gaze she got a good look of the man she had bumped into; middle-aged, tall, and enrobed in an immaculate white, he naturally looked like someone of importance._

_"I'm sorry!" he only chuckled good-naturedly at her hasty apology, eyes looking down at her with empathy._

_"There's nothing to apologize over," the man's eyes shifted down to her Pokémon, still greedily eating the Ponigiri. "Would you happen to be a warrior?"_

_She looked up at him with an amount of credulity. "What?"_

_"Your partner," he motioned to the Pokémon next to her, and she then realized that easily gave her away. "There aren't any warriors here."_

_"Not anymore, at least..." Oichi was too focused on the man's statement to focus on his muttered addendum._

_"No warriors?" he smiled softly._

_"I'm afraid not."_

_"Are you the Warlord, Mr..."_

_"Naoshige. And no; I govern for Lord Sorin," she frowned slightly._

_"You must get awfully lonely if the castle's empty all the time," Naoshige only smiled again._

_"Not as lonely as your path, I imagine," she shrunk slightly, eyes gazing downwards, but looked back up when she felt him place a hand gently on her shoulder._

_"What's your name?" she hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was safe to give it to him, before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes._

_"Oichi."_

_"Well, Oichi, would you like to bring your journey to an end?" shock quick made itself across her face at his offer, but when she looked back up at the man, she saw no malice in his eyes; only a kindness she had not seen the likes of in a long time, along with an amount of insomnia. Oichi debated with herself whether or not she should accept Naoshige's offer, but quickly decided that it was far better than aimlessly journeying across Ransei, trying to find someone that would be willing to give her a new home. A new purpose. And, perhaps, she would be able to find someone that could defeat that madman. So, slowly, as if trying to confirm that this wasn't just a cruel joke, she gave a nod in acceptance. He smiled, turned, and motioned for her to follow, and she fell in step, clearing her throat before asking another question._

_"What happens next?"_

_"I can't say," he titled his head up, letting out a lightweight, almost carefree sigh. "But, at least, neither of us will be alone anymore."_

* * *

"I- I was lost. I didn't know what to do or where to go. But I was given a purpose with Aurora; it was so peaceful and free from all the conflict around it, and I wanted to help keep that peace alive," Tadashi frowned and sank back against the rock.

"Then I'm sorry I took that peace away from you," Oichi shook her head in disagreement.

"Hideyoshi would have attacked whether or not you were there. If anything, your presence kept Aurora free," the co-Warlord scoffed, closing his silvery eyes and leaning back.

"So? I did one thing right and then screwed it all up by attacking Greenleaf. And then Violight. And now this," the girl let out another sigh, deciding that this was an argument she would not win.

"Please, Tadashi," it was becoming a bit easier for her to address him as that. "Just stay for a little while longer. Long enough to see the good you've done."

"I already _know_ what my actions have wrought, Oichi!" both recoiled from his outburst, and a look of guilt immediately washed over his face. Tadashi brought his knees up to his chest, burying his face in them for a few moments before slowly raising his head. "But... But I suppose I don't have much of a choice."

No more words were exchanged, but the sounds of a nearby shouting drew both of their attentions.

"Use Leaf Tornado!"

"Break it with Stone Edge!" the two warlords bristled visibly at the latter voice, and slowly both rose, Tadashi carrying his sleeping partner and Oichi the candle, and silently made their way back down the tunnels. It wasn't long before they came upon the entrance; there were a sizeable amount of warriors gathered, all watching the two combatants in the center. Takakage stood closest to both them and Motonari, watching the battle unfold with a horrified expression plastered across his face. A few more moves passed, and Servine was been brought down to its knees, Conkeldurr hovering over it. It was obvious who had won.

"I will concede for now," Motonari quickly interjected, retrieving his partner before the finishing blow could be delivered. Yoshihiro raised an eyebrow in interest. "But do not believe this victory will ensure your success."

The greying man broke out in laughter. "Do you really think I care about winning?"

"No," the Greenleafer's eyes narrowed in a display of anger that Takakage had never seen. The only time that he could even remember seeing his father be distinctively angry was when Motoharu had managed to spill a bottle of ink over a section of books in Chrysalia's library, but that quickly turned to mourning. This was something different altogether. "And that is why I cannot permit this to continue. Your selfish lust for battle will throw western Ransei into chaos once more."

Yoshihiro didn't seem overly concerned, and let out a proud bout of laughter. "I'll hold you to that then! Run back to Aurora; you'll have till tomorrow to prepare."

Motonari turned around, catching their glimpse, and headed through one of the entrances that would bring them out near the road to the Normal Type Kingdom. The others quickly followed.

* * *

The weather in Terrera was little better.

Shingen was slumped against the back of his Rhyperior in the sweltering main hall, fanning himself lethargically while he slowly melted into the floor. The Warlord looked around before adjusting his mask slightly so he could wipe the accumulated sweat off his forehead, before reaching for a large cup of water next to him. He took a sip from it, swirling it around in his hand while looking up at the ceiling, before shrugging and pouring the lukewarm liquid over his head. Rhyperior grunted as some of the water got on its back, while Shingen let out a sigh of relief and slowly stood.

"C'mon, Rhyperior; if we wait any longer here, we're going to end up in pools of our sweat," the masked Terreran rolled his shoulders while the bulky Pokémon slowly rose. "There has to be somewhere in this castle that the heat's tolerable."

The Pokémon raised a stony eyebrow. "Rhy?"

"Eh, Kunoichi can find us. It _is_ part of her job description, after all," Shingen replied with a dismissive wave of the hand.

A few minutes after the two left the spacious hall, Kunoichi decided to appear in a blur of black and red. "Hey, Lord Shingen! I got-"

The girl cut herself off as she took a look around the vacant room disconcertedly, absentmindedly fingering the scroll hanging from her belt. "That report?"

"Okay then..." the ninja muttered, unhooking the rolled transcript and haphazardly tossing it towards the front of the room where the Warlord would usually sit during councils. "I guess I'll just leave it here..."

Kunoichi turned around and exited the room as well, steps completely silent as she maneuvered through the castle's halls aimlessly, and quickly become aware of the stifling temperature. _"Man, I hope Sneasel's doing okay in this heat."_

The brunette rounded a corner and crossed her arms, a small, coy smile having broken out on her face. _"Nah; this isn't the first time we've faced a heat wave. He'll be fine."_

The heavy sounds of grunting met her eyes, drawing her out of her thoughts, and the smile that had been barely noticeable on her face grew wider. Kunoichi slinked closer and closer to the room where the noise was originating from and slowly cracked the door to the training room open to peek inside. Yukimura training vigorously, even in this heat, was not an unexpected sight. Given that the warrior trained every morning shortly after he woke up until lunch, and then usually after lunch until Shingen had to intervene, almost like clockwork, it would have been a more surprising sight to see the room devoid of him and his Charmeleon. What she did not expect, however, was that he would be shirtless due to the stifling conditions.

The girl's immediate reaction was to check if her nose had sprung a sanguine leak at the sight of his muscular, well-toned frame, and then to cover her mouth to suppress a very fangirlish squeal.

Kunoichi leaned against the door to get a better view, forgetting that there was nothing to support her weight against it, and immediately regretted it as the wood swung open and she fell, in a very unstealthy manner, face first onto the floor. The commotion broke Yukimura out of his near trance-like state of quickly twirling his spear around in various maneuvers, setting aside the weapon as he turned to look at the ninja sprawled out on the floor. The Terreran spared a curious glance in Charmeleon's direction, in which the Pokémon could only reply with an equally curious shrug, and Yukimura walked over to the downed girl and extended a hand.

"Are you alright, Kunoichi?" she was about to reply, but any words that were forming died in her throat when she looked up, and was quickly reminded that Yukimura was standing over her. Shirtless. And sweaty. And slightly out of breath.

"Kunoichi? Kunoichi, you're bleeding!" as if to make matters worse, Yukimura got in closer in hopes of being able to wipe the blood out from under her nose with a handkerchief he had procured from his pants pocket. Kunoichi stuttered, fumbling for any coherent words, but as the teen loomed closer she settled for an unintelligible shout, scrambling to her feet and causing the warrior to take a step back in shock. A flurry of incoherent comments followed before Kunoichi ran out of the room like she was on fire, leaving a confused Yukimura in her wake. He turned to look back at his partner, who only offered another shrug, and then went back to his drills without another thought.

Her mind in overdrive, Kunoichi barely registered Shingen's presence as she ran past him in a particularly drafty hallway, but when she did, she still managed to shout out a barely understandable reply before disappearing in a burst of smoke. "Scroll'sinthehallbye!"

"What- Oh, never mind..." the Warlord of Terrera sighed out, shifting his bewildered gaze from the spot that his ninja was seconds before to the floorboards. "Well, looks like we have to head back."

It was only a few minutes before they reentered the meeting hall, Shingen immediately being met with a blast of hot air upon opening the door, and quickly retrieved the scroll that had been sitting in his usual spot. His eyes ran over the handwriting, letting out a 'hm' every now and again, but a small grin slowly crept onto his face as he rolled it back up and tossed it aside lackadaisically.

"If Aurora's been pushed out of Ignis, then that means..." he spun around to face Rhyperior. "Quickly; we have preparations to make! Our goal is Chrysalia!"


	28. Chapter 28

Night had long ago descended over Aurora, darkening the castle's creaky hallways and casting thin moonlight through the sparse windows. He was grateful for both, the former letting him slink through the empty passages of the structure without being spotted, while the latter gave him enough light to see where exactly he was going without getting rid of his cover. A few minutes of brisk prowling passed before he came to his destination; the castle's foyer. He ran a mental checklist, rummaging through the leather satchel suspended next to his side to ensure that he had everything he needed. Satisfied with his preparations, he took a step towards the door, but a sudden noise from atop his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. He only sighed.

"I know it's wrong Eevee, especially now of all times, but they don't need me. I'd only get in the way if I stayed."

"I'd beg to differ, brother," Tadashi's resumed trek was abruptly halted by the voice, and he had to quickly throw up his arms to shield his eyes when an unexpected light filled the path ahead. When he lowered his arms, eyes quickly adjusting to the dull flicker of the candle, he saw Kazumi garbed in a night-gown so big on her he wondered for a moment if she had just taken the sheets off her bed, looking less than pleased about his presence. The male twin let out another sigh, eyes closed and shoulders slumped.

"I was afraid this would happen."

"Did you think it wouldn't cross my mind that you'd try to slip out in the middle of the night?" Tadashi's eyes shot open, a flicker of rage passing through his gaze, but he maintained a steady composure otherwise.

"Of course it would. You were always prepared, Kazumi, always the more intuitive one," he raised his arm, letting Eevee descended off his shoulder and onto the floor. "And I might be a fool, and a reckleless one a that, but we both know I'm stronger. And I doubt you're willing to let your partner get knocked out the night before the most decisive battle in the history of western Ransei for the sake of trying to stop me."

His voice adopted a rarely authoritative tone, eyes narrowing into a penetrating glare to compliment it, that managed to shake her resolve. "Stand aside, sister. I don't want to have to fight you."

"One on one, sure, you'd probably win, but she's not alone," Tadashi quickly spun around at the new voice, seeing Hanbei and Kanbei standing behind him. He frowned, still facing the tactical duo, but Kazumi knew his focus was still on her.

"Figures..." he took a glance down at his partner, who seemed less than happy about the situation, and then the floorboards. "You're either very stupid or very desperate if you really want me around..."

"So, do you think you can take on all three of us?" Hanbei's rhetorical question caused the Auroran to look back up, eyes glancing over every member of the trio to gauge the feasibility of fighting against the three. Pikachu posed the biggest threat with its Thunder Wave, while Lampent could pose a few problems with Confuse Ray, and possibly halt him with Fire Spin. He wasn't overly concerned with his sister's Eevee. Dig could probably knock back Pikachu long enough for Eevee to use a Quick Attack-Bite combo to force Lampent back and dodge the inevitable counterattack, he mused.

Apparently Hanbei decided that the brunette was taking to long to decide, as his voice cut through the tense silence that had descended the dimly lit room. "Thunder Wave, Pikachu."

The next thing Tadashi felt was a tingling sensation wash over his legs and midsection, before quickly being replaced with a numbness that washed over his entire body. He watched himself fall, barely staying conscious all the while, and was only saved from having the back of his head collide with the wooden floorboards by his sister catching him, entangling her arms around his.

"Thanks, Hanbei," Kazumi's voice sounded distant to him, despite their proximity, but he could still make out the regret in it.

"I don't think electrocuting your brother is something you should be thanking me over," due to the fact he had lost almost all feeling in his neck, and it was already an uphill battle to keep his eyes open, the paralyzed Warlord simply had to imagine Hanbei running a hand through the back of his hair with a contrite expression across his face. "Do you want us to help take him back to his room?"

"Yes, I'd appreciate that," another pair of hands grasped his ankles, and Tadashi felt himself being lifted up and carried away. He managed to look towards the ground, where he could make out the outline of his satchel, still dangling from his bent arm, dragging against the ground next to his Eevee. The Pokémon was trotting along with them sullenly. It was difficult to tell how much time passed before he was dropped back onto his bed, an arm and leg dangling over the edge threateningly, but feeling slowly began to return when his mouth was opened and something was dropped in. From the intolerably spicy taste he could quickly tell it was a Cheri Berry, probably taken from his satchel, and he pried his eyes open and stiffly sat up.

Hanbei and Kanbei were gone, though he suspected that they were outside the closed door, and Kazumi was sitting on the other side of the bed, warily watching him. He heard her let out a breath when he was sitting upright, and then get up and walk around to his side. Silence descended over them for a few moments, Tadashi looking down at the floor to avoid her gaze, before a loud smack and a sudden stinging sensation across his cheek drew him out of his thoughts.

"I probably deserved that..." he muttered, a hand going to the red mark that was beginning to form, and then slowly brought his gaze upwards. Kazumi looked less than pleased, lips set into a firm frown and eyebrows furrowed, shaking the hand that she had used to slap him with. The boy shrunk under her glare, fingers interlocking and bravado suddenly dissipating, feeling very much like a rowdy student about to be scolded by a schoolmaster.

"Brother, I don't know what's gotten into your head, but you need to snap out of it," her tone was demanding and somewhat harsh, befitting the situation. He felt his anger return, hands balling up, teeth gritting, and a renewed vigor in his eyes.

"What's gotten into my head?" he stood slowly, leveling his gaze with hers. "The realization that I'm completely useless and only hurt anyone nearby!"

Kazumi flinched at his declaration, any words she was preparing immediately dying in her throat. His face dropped afterwards, and he fell back on his bed, covering his face with his hands. "Is this what this is about?"

"Of course it is..." the male twin muttered out, before pushing himself back up to face her again. The girl's face, having dropped upon hearing his declaration, hardened again. "You can be so stupid sometimes, brother, you know that?"

"You don't think I don't know that!?" he growled out angrily. Kazumi shook her head again, strands of loose hair flying in the process.

"No. Tadashi, what is it that you're so upset over?" he scowled.

"I already told you; I'm-" her gaze intensified, and he closed his mouth.

"Specifically."

His silvery eyes narrowed, but he continued. "What are we fighting for, Kazumi? Peace. And it seems like every action I make only prolongs the conflict. I'm supposed to protect my kingdom as a Warlord, sister, and I can't even get that right! If I did, Pugilis wouldn't even be knocking on our doorstep. And that's not even the beginning of everything I've done wrong!" the co-Warlord, still standing above him, let out a weary sigh and rubbed her temples.

"Tadashi, you have to forgive yourself when you screw up and move on if you want to get anywhere," her comment was reserved, but that did little in the face of his rekindled rage. His visage twisted, lips curling into a snarl, eyes aflame, hands turning into fists, and the girl took a step back in recoil.

"Of course you'd say that! It's not like you ever slip up!" Kazumi's patience had been worn thin, and her voice rose to a shout that easily rivaled his.

"I'm not perfect, for gods' sake Tadashi! I make mistakes too!" she heard shifting outside the door, but was too focused on the fact that her sibling's eyes had narrowed, issuing a silent challenge before actually stating it.

"Really? Name one," she had managed to steady her temper with the help of a few deep breaths after her own outburst. His demanding gaze refused to budge, and the Auroran met it with one of restrained passiveness as she spoke.

"Pugilis, for starters. In case if you forgot, Tadashi, I also thought it would be a good idea to head there, and so I have to take some of the blame as well. You're not the only one who messes up, so stop acting like it," Tadashi's tough expression gradually softened into one of remorse, eyes slowly looking down at the floor again while his anger slowly dissipated like air escaping from a balloon. Kazumi crossed her arms again, looking down on her brother as he fell back on the bed with a mixture of remorse and pity. She opened her mouth to continue, but shook her head and decided that she had said enough. The girl turned, opened the door to the room, and cast one glace back at her sibling.

"Goodnight, brother..." the door closed moments later, Kazumi getting a glance of Tadashi burying his head in his hands, fingers running through his hair and shoulders shaking, before the wood fully cut off her sight into the room.

"It didn't go all that well, huh?" she turned around at Hanbei's question and shook her head in the negative.

"Sometimes I just don't know what to do," the tactician shrugged, tilting the candlestick in his hand slightly, and let out an empathetic sigh.

"Sometimes you just have to be completely blunt," he could tell that did little to ease the twin's concern. "Just give him some space; he'll sort it out."

Kazumi nodded resignedly. "I can only hope so..."

* * *

Morning was beginning to rise over the small castle, but it was already bustling with activity. Warriors ran about the hallways and corridors, filling the courtyard and outlying areas as they hastily made all the preparations necessary. The dining table had once again been reacquired by Motonari, littered with a collage of maps of various colors that easily clashed with each other and the multiple wooden pieces that were scattered about them. The man hovered over them, silently maneuvering them about the table, the Servine sitting at the end occasionally interjecting with a name-based comment, in which he would silently readjust their paths.

"Father!" Takakage appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath, Treecko sitting idly on his shoulder. "The reinforcements from Greenleaf have arrived!"

"Have they?" Motonari grasped at the stubble on his chin at the news, not lifting his sight from the table. "Well then, this will certainly help things along..."

The older man fumbled around the table, Takakage still standing in the doorway as his father grasped the handle of his nearby teacup, taking a sip from it before continuing, voice distant and a glassy look overcoming his eyes as he scanned the papers below. "Our entire army, now gathered in one place..."

"Father?" Motonari looked up.

"Hm? Ah, forgive me, Takakage," that was all the blond got before his father immersed himself in his planning once more. Takakage frowned uncomfortably, taking a few soft steps forward. Servine turned its head, the Pokémon's ruby orbs looking at him with an emotion that caused an amount of unease to well up in him, but he carried on, maneuvering himself so he could see the Warlord of Greenleaf. Takakage recoiled when he saw his father's gaze.

By all accounts it was completely normal, and should have been indistinguishable from his usual placid, benign look as he stared down at various maps and ledgers. But the boy knew his father well enough to know when something was off; there was something else to behind the older man's eyes, something lurking within his gaze as he stared down at the table, setting up the pieces. The orange-coated Greenleafer could not tell what exactly it was, but it was something almost devious; like a serpent slowly slithering through a thicket, waiting patiently as its prey got into place before lashing out.

"Takakage?" Motonari had turned to face the boy, and whatever he saw had completely dissipated the moment he refocused his gaze. Takakage didn't know if that was good or bad, and pretended nothing had happened.

"Yes, father?"

"Would you mind getting Hanbei, Kanbei and Lady Kazumi? I believe I'm almost finished."

"Of course," the younger Greenleafer was gone with a hasty bow, and Motonari took another sip from his cup. He noticed Servine's expression out of the corner of his eyes, the Pokémon's red eyes narrowed and arms crossed, and the man let out a sigh.

"Don't think I savor this either, Servine," the Pokémon only gave another name-based retort, looking far from convinced. Motonari shook his head, a hand going to the back of his hair.

"I know. But you know why we follow them as well; those two do not conqueror for their own sakes, they have no ambition of their own beyond peace. They show a graciousness I have not seen in a very long time, and I see in them a chance for Ransei to have peace beyond a petty ambition. If I must stick my hands into the muck once again to keep theirs clean, then so be it."

The Grass Type leaned back further into its chair, still far from pleased but voicing no other complaints either. A few more minutes of tranquil silence followed, before it was shattered by Takakage reappearing in the doorway, flanked by the two Ignite tacticians and in front of the Warlord. He turned around, the worried look that had spread across his face during his conversation with Servine evaporating before anyone could notice, and gave the trio a smile.

"Ah, perfect timing, son. I've just finished finalizing the strategy," motioned for the four to come up to the table, taking a small step to the side to allow them a better view of all the implements scattered across the table. Hanbei was the first to react.

"Uh, Lord Motonari? Where's Aurora?" the older man let out a dry chuckle in response.

"The battle will take place on the plains on the outskirts of the town," the collective shock of the four quickly became palpable.

"What!? But if we abandon the castle we'll loose any defensive advantage!"

"Not to mention we'll be sitting Duckletts out in the open!" the grassy-haired man's smile refused to budge at their objections. Rather, he simply folded his arms behind his back and walked around to the other side of the table.

"Yes, I suspect that Pugilis will try to charge us the moment they see us out in the open," he took another glance down at the maps, the four younger warriors each looking at him in anticipation. "Yoshihiro won't be so easy to fool, but I can't say the rest for his army. Refrain from setting up any ambushes, a single straight line of warriors arrayed out in front of them... Let them believe that we are under the illusion that numerical superiority is what will win this battle. Their hotheadedness and thirst for conflict will drive them forwards..."

The semi-retired Warlord of Greenleaf turned around, facing the window that shed warm rays of golden sunlight into the room, while the four took another look back at the plan set out before them.

"To show complete disregard for any strategy or tactics and relying on brute force alone, simply for the sake of it..." a frown managed to break out on the man's face after his muttered statement, his voice containing an amount of disgust. "That is something I refuse to abide, let alone be bested by."

"Lord Motonari?" he turned around at Hanbei's question, frown vanishing, facing the unusually unenthusiastic genius. "I... I'm not certain this plan will work. From the look of things, this will probably end up with a massive deadlock across the field."

The strategist's reaction to the youth's hesitation was his usual passiveness and a scratch of the head. "War isn't exact, I'm afraid."

Hanbei frowned slightly, eyes glancing down at the table one more time before nodding in agreement. "Alright..."

"We'll head out, then," Kazumi's voice drew the attention of the occupants to her. "Hanbei and Kanbei can explain it to the others."

Kanbei gave a nod, stony faced, while Hanbei crossed his arms. "Well, relate at any rate."

"Very well, I will join you shortly," Motoanri turned to Takakage as the trio took their leave, the boy silently mulling over the details laid out before him, a hand on his chin and eyebrows furrowed. "Takakage?"

The boy looked up, and Motonari continued. "I'll be leaving you in charge of Greenleaf's regiment."

Takakage's look quickly shifted into one of awed surprise, something that brought a smile to his father's face. "This is a big responsibility, so-"

"I won't let you down, father!" before the older man could continue, Takakage sped out of the room. Servine snorted.

"Well, his enthusiasm is admirable..." the sounds of another approaching form drew their attention back to the doorway. Motonari's face brightened.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive."

"I figured you didn't want me walking in on your briefing," Motonari nodded, and then reached into his overcoat.

"Yes, that might have been a bit troublesome," the strategist produced a sealed envelope from his inside pocket. "Regardless, here are your orders, as well as theirs. I trust you can follow them to the, uh... letter?"

Servine rolled its eyes while the warrior across from him took the document, turning it over. "I take it then that you withheld the whole plan from them?"

"Unfortunately so; there's simply not enough time to explain everything."

"But that's not the whole reason, is it?" the Greenleafer sighed.

"No. This is one battle where I'd rather they didn't learn from my example," a soft chuckle followed Motonari's remorseful confession.

"Then I'm guessing Pugilis doesn't stand a chance."

"Let us hope so..."

* * *

By noontime, the entire Aurora army was filing out of the packed castle and beginning its march down the road. The female Warlord silently looked on as the panoply of warriors marched out the gates at a barely-restrained pace, Hanbei and Kanbei besides her, before taking a glance back up to the keep above. Her eyes hovered over a certain window, quickly catching a glance of the depressed visage of her brother looking down through it, watching distantly as events unfolded before his eyes. Their eyes locked, and her gaze reawakened the argument that had been raging in his head for hours before.

_"Are you really just going to stand back and watch?"_

_"I already told you; all I do is cause more pain to those around me."_

_"So you're just going to sit around and watch them suffer anyways?"_

Tadashi abruptly turned and fled deeper into his room, his face and frame quickly disappearing from behind the glass, trying to stop hearing her voice echoing throughout his mind, pleading with him, by simply trying to ignore her presence. Kazumi only sighed when he vanished. The girl didn't need to see him to get an idea that her brother was conflicted, but she was drawn back to the courtyard when she felt a sudden heaviness on her armored shoulder. She turned to see Hanbei, lips pursed respectfully, almost hesitantly, purple eyes conveying an understanding of the situation on some level, and silently urging her to carry on.

The brunette gave a silent nod and joined in the march, the two tacticians solemnly treading behind her. Kazumi noted that, on their way through the town, it was utterly devoid of any of its usual business, doors and windows sealed and barred in preparation for what the terrified residents undoubtedly assumed would be fighting in the streets. Part of her mind wondered if that was one of the reasons why Motonari had wanted the battle to take place outside of Aurora, the other half wondering what the battle ahead would bring.

"Hanbei?" it took the Auroran a few seconds to realize she had called out to her friend, to drowned in her thoughts, but the narcoleptic was unusually slow on his reply as well.

"Yeah?" she kicked aside a few pebbles in her path, trying to see past the heads of the warriors in front of her to no avail.

"Are you nervous?" he put a hand to his chin.

"Honestly? A bit. Aside from the obvious, what do you think is going to happen to us if we lose?" Kazumi frowned, slipping her hands underneath the purple sash tied around her waist.

"I don't really know," Hanbei let out a 'hm'.

"Neither did Hideyoshi."

"Yeah, but our situation is a bit different," she took a look down at the road. "There's no one left to get help from if we're defeated. If we loose this battle, even with all of our army and Motonari's stratagems, there's nothing else left."

"There are still the other kingdoms, we can always fall back to them," the tone of Hanbei's voice gave away that he knew it was a losing argument. It failed to keep Kanbei from chiming in, though.

"That matters not; any further resistance would be an exercise in futility," Kazumi nodded.

"So let's try to win it..." the raven-haired tactician put his hands behind his head.

"But if we don't win," a smile snuck up on his face. "Then what do you plan on doing?"

A silence followed, Kanbei not bothering to answer or even show the slightest acknowledgement that he heard the question, looking almost offended over the notion, while Kazumi remained silent. Hanbei decided to offer a suggestion of his own.

"We could always open a restaurant," the atmosphere quickly became one of disbelief. Kazumi's mouth hung open, the girl having stopped walking for a second to come up with a response. Kanbei managed to keep his agitation contained enough that he kept walking, but still shook his head in a strange mixture of disappointment and tiredness. The Warlord of Aurora quickly picked up her pace to catch up with the other two, who had slowed down slightly, before repeating what Hanbei had said.

"A resturaunt?" he nodded, his oversized hat shifting slightly.

"Yeah; you, me, Kanbei, your brother and Oichi," by that point the Warlord understood the tactician was merely trying to keep their spirits up, allowed a soft chuckle to escape her, and then pointed out the biggest flaw in his suggestion.

"Are you certain about that? Think about all the customers we'll have to manage."

Though she had no doubt Hanbei understood that she was talking about how little free time he would have, the genius decided to interpret it as something else entirely, prefacing his reply with a misleading nod. "True; Kanbei's face would probably scare the kids away."

Kanbei. Kids. Something told the brunette that those two words did not belong in the same sentence. While the mental image of a less-than-pleased Kanbei surrounded by children filled her head, the albino in question maintained his deadpan. "I was born with this face."

Hanbei only grinned. "And your kids will probably have it too."

The image in the twin's mind morphed into one of Kanbei surrounded by children who were all just as equally pale and scowling. Fortunately, before her thoughts could progress any further, Kanbei cleared his throat almost awkwardly, his eyes obscured as he nervously glanced downwards.

"Regardless, the battle must take precedence," Kazumi's focus shifted back to her surroundings, blue orbs quickly running over them, and the Warlord saw that their marching had finally brought them to the plains and sparse farmland that laid on the outskirts of Aurora. The somewhat aloof air of the past few minutes quickly vanished, replaced with a sense of foreboding in all three as they surveyed the area.

"They'll be here soon..."

"Yes," the trio turned around to see Motonari and Servine walking up behind them. The former's arms were folded behind his back in a stately fashion, eyes set dead ahead in a firm determination. "And so we must hurry."

Hanbei and Kanbei each gave a nod to the older man before heading into the ranks of warriors franticly moving about behind them. The two remaining Warlords proceeded forwards, Kazumi taking a few looks around in growing trepidation.

"Motonari, does it look like we're missing a few warriors?" the Greenleafer seemed unconcerned by her comment, not breaking his stride to the center of their formation.

"Everyone is accounted for," the Auroran frowned slightly at his reply, but pushed aside any other complaints. Motonari looked up and raised an eyebrow. "And not a moment too soon."

Kazumi had to stand on her toes to see past the heads of the warriors around them, but she already knew that Pugilis' army had finally arrived before even seeing them arrayed out on the other side of the fields. There was little motion from either side, the battlefield dissolving into a staring contest as both armies remained unmoving.

"They're not moving," the female twin remarked, eyes running over every detail in sight. Yoshihiro stood at the front of his warriors, arms crossed and face firmly set ahead like a statue, a stark contrast to the antsy warriors that surrounded him. He undoubtedly knew that something was up.

"For now," Motonari's reply was distant, the strategist's face settling into a disturbingly dispassionate façade that made him completely unreadable. The Auroran frowned again, the sense of dread in her increasing, but decided that nothing else needed to be said at the moment. A few more unbearably tense minutes passed by, in which she could tell that Yoshihiro was barely managing to maintain discipline within his own ranks and keep the from charging down on their army. The corner's of Motonari's lips curled upwards slightly, and he outstretched one of his arms.

"Vanguard; advance," the sight of a small group of warriors breaking the static line that had fanned out across the field and charging forwards alone seemed to be too tempting a target to resist. It only took a few seconds after the Greenleafer's order for the Pugilis warriors to rush forward in an undisciplined mob, Yoshihiro remaining unmoving at the top of the hill that they had once been camped upon. Kazumi spared a nervous glance around; the warriors around them were quickly reorganizing, adopting a more loose formation and leaving a large gap in the center of their lines while the flanks advanced to pincer the enemy. The female Warlord winced slightly as the first attacks were exchanged, powerful arcs of electricity crashing into the ground near the approaching Pugilites, who kept up their pace until they collided with the Aurorans, the battle quickly dissolving to a chaotic melee.

"CHESTOOO!" Toyoshia shouted out, running forward while Scrafty lunged out with a High Jump Kick. Ginchiyo didn't seemed impressed, arms crossed and shooting a glare at the tanned Pugilite that immediately deflated his enthusiasm.

"Duck," Luxio quickly obeyed, dropping into the grass and letting the Dual Type harmlessly soar over its head. The armor-encumbered woman took a small step to the side, watching reservedly as the Hoodlum Pokémon landed in a crumpled heap behind her. "Thunderbolt, Luxio."

"Use Protect!" Scrafty sprung back to its feet and quickly raised the green barrier of energy, effortlessly absorbing the sharp current of electricity. "Great! Counter with Faint Attack!"

"Charge and Spark, Luxio!" the two combatants quickly followed their orders, Luxio storing up electricity within its black mane, and Scrafty jumping from spot to spot before lunging forward again. The Pokémon's fist collided with the Electric Type's face, Luxio letting out a pained cry before unleashing the pent-up voltage into its opponent while stumbling back from the force of the attack. The orange Pokémon was brought down to its knees after the attack, sporadically twitching as the electricity worked its way out of its body, only to be tackled again with another electrified attack. Scrafty pushed the Spark Pokémon off it with a sharp kick to its underside, and the Violighter frowned as her opponent was joined by two other warriors and their partners. The woman and her partner took a few steps back, allowing Scrafty to be flanked by the other Machop and Gurdurr.

"Thunderbolt, Luxio; aim wide!"

"Join in with Air Slash, a little to the right," the brunette risked a glance over her armored shoulder to see Muneshige waltzing into the battle, letting out an exasperated sigh in response and returning and returning to the battle. The trio of opponents quickly scattered in the face of the Thunderbolt, the Air Slash slamming into the Gurdurr as it attempted to escape the Electric Type attack, only to get struck by that as well.

"I thought you were supposed to be leading the strike force," the man clad in white only smiled at her less than welcoming tone, eyes shifting from the battle to her.

"The wind blows where it will," Ginchiyo only rolled her steely eyes in response, muttering for Luxio to follow up with another Spark on the Machop before turning to face her retainer.

"And I assume it keeps blowing you in my direction?" Muneshige only kept up his smile, brushing aside a few strands of hair that blew into his face.

"Well, I won't deny we make quite the storm together," the Warlord turned back to the battle, her voice having dissolved into one of slight annoyance.

"Just focus on the enemy, you preening dandy," he chuckled amusedly.

"As you wish, oh fearless leader. Wing Attack!" Staravia swooped down again, slamming into Gurdurr with a powerful chop of its wing and keeping it out of the Spark Pokémon's path.

"Thunderbolt once again! Finish this!" Toyohisa grimaced.

"Dodge with Faint Attack, use Protect if you think you need to!"

"Throw it off with Whirlwind," Staravia quickly swooped down and unleashed a powerful gust with a few flaps of its wings, causing the Dual Type to stumble, before it managed to create another barrier that absorbed the incoming arc of electricity. Scrafty used the opportunity to take a few cautious steps back in the direction of its partner, and Muneshige eyed it cautiously before wiping some of the sweat off his forehead.

"Has it suddenly gotten hotter?" Ginchiyo spared an irritated glance in his direction at first, but looked up to see that the sunlight had suddenly increased from a pleasant lukewarm to a harsh intensity that forced her to lower her gaze. Servine had used Sunny Day.

"Cover your eyes," she muttered, before looking back at her partner seconds later. "Now, Luxio; Flash!"

The Pokémon cried out its name and slammed its forepaws into the blades of grass underneath, sparks of electricity cackling off its mane before a blinding light enveloped the field. Toyohisa yelped out in shock, quickly shielding his eyes, and once he lowered his arms and refocused his blurry vision he took a step back in shock at seeing that his outnumbered opponents had used the opportunity to retreat. It was made only worse by the sight of another wave approaching them. The raven-haired boy spared a glance back to the top of the hill, letting out a sigh in relief when Yoshihiro and the few warriors still around him began their descent. He then looked back to the front and the Auroran warriors quickly closing in, and smiled slightly when he saw a small break in their formation that led directly to the enemy Warlord.

"Quickly; into the gap!" the boy dashed forwards, his partner and a handful of the other warriors close behind. Kazumi looked up to the strategist next to her nervously, her eyes glancing from Toyohisa to his uncle. He only gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry that much about Yoshihiro, my Lady; I believe-" his eyes shifted to the massive Warlord, and the strategist quickly cut himself off. "Ah, sooner than expected, actually."

The girl followed his gaze, confused, and saw that a group of warriors had outmaneuvered most of the fighting and were charging at Yoshihiro and his small entourage from the side. A wave of confusion swept over her for moment, failing to recall that being part of the plan, but when she made out Dosetsu leading them, the man having been absent earlier, she pieced together what happened rather quickly. The Greenleafer cleared his throat.

"I believe it's time to proceed with the next part of the plan."

"Alright," the Auroran Warlord gave a firm nod, steeling her features and suppressing any hesitation she had. The brunette took another glance back at the battlefield; most of Pugilites had been stopped by the second wave, but Toyohisa and a small company had managed to worm their way through the chaotic melee and were charging straight at her. Motonari and Servine quietly faded out of her vision, and she looked over the few warriors who remained in their positions.

"Fall back!" the strategist watched phlegmatically as the brunette and the few warriors near her quickly retreated in the direction of the town, leading Toyohisa and his pursuing warriors to Oichi and the rear guard. His vision fell back on the chaotic mess of the battlefield, and then back to his partner.

"Do you think Muneshige has returned to his position yet?" the Pokémon only shrugged, crossing its leaf-like limbs. Motonari spared another glance back at the battlefield, a hand going to his chin. "Well, we can't afford to wait much longer. Give the signal."

The Grass Type nodded and quickly created a small whirlwind of leaves before launching it up into the air. The two watched it spiral upwards before slowly dissipating, and their attention was redirected to the field when they heard the heavy sounds of hooves charging across the plains. Muneshige, mounted atop his Zebstrika, barreled across the plains with a few other warriors riding alongside him. Shots of electricity and sharp gusts of wind quickly followed their appearance, driving straight into the melee that had enveloped the grassy fields. The frantic shouting only increased as ranks broke apart in the face of the unexpected attack, warriors and Pokémon alike desperately pushing apart to avoid the barrage or being trampled Munehsige's charge across the battlefield, leaving a large gap down the center of the conflict. The strategist grew a small, sly smile at the sight, and he turned to Motochika, commanding the only warriors that were still refraining from battle, and motioned for him to charge into the breach.

The Fontainian gave a nod, and within moments he and his warriors were on the field as well, surrounding and slowly pushing Pugilis' remaining army apart and across the plains. The strategist folded his arms behind his back, letting out a hum in approval at the sight, and slowly began to cross the now-vacant portion of the battlefield and towards Yoshihiro. Pugilis' army was now divided, surrounded and outmaneuvered, Yoshihiro was checked for the moment, he would certainly not make the mistake of underestimating him again, and Muneshige was beginning to make a second round towards a particularly exposed section of the melee on the left. They had been far to easy to predict; even now, as Pugilis was slowly having the life choked out of them, they continued to fight with reckless abandon. The man frowned at the sight, giving a firm shake of the head at the senselessness of their struggle, the sounds of the nearby battle masking his steps as he approached the enemy commander.

All that remained was one final, crushing blow before they gave out, and the battle would finally come to an end. And hopefully before any unnecessary losses.

* * *

Toyohisa looked around somewhat nervously, quickly working to regain his grasp of the situation. Part of his mind berated himself for not noticing the obvious trap and charging straight after the retreating Warlord, only for her to suddenly spin around and order a counterattack just as reinforcements came in from behind. Despite the suddenness of the attack, though, he could tell that the few warriors around him were holding up well, and he spun around to join in the battle. After pushing through a few warriors, he found himself standing across from a pink-clad girl. She looked less than pleased at being present, lip quivering slightly and hands clasped together, projecting an almost frail image. Perhaps it was simply the boy's rashness, but he decided to call out to her rather than shout out an attack.

"Hey, are you okay?" she looked up, eyes wide and brows furrowed, and quickly glanced around before seeing him and his lack of aggression.

"What?" Oichi both looked and sounded utterly baffled at her opponent trying to strike up a conversation with her in the middle of a battle, but Toyohisa seemed just as confused over her hesitation.

"You don't look well," his explanation caused her to let out a quiet 'oh' and take a glance down at her sandals. The Normal Type at her feet only huffed at the boy's questioning, stepping in front of its partner protectively as if Toyohisa were about to suddenly lunge out at her.

"I don't really enjoy fighting..." her meek reply, barely audible above the fighting and made even worse by her lowered visage, completely shocked the Pugilite.

"What!?" Toyohisa's loud reply caused the auburn-haired girl to jump slightly in shock, while he struggled to find the proper response. Fortunately, at least in Oichi's opinion, before their encounter could become even more awkward with her supposed opponent trying to convince her elsewise or just prying in general, the sudden implosion of a Shadow Ball near his partner drew their attention to the quickly approaching Warlord of Aurora.

"Oichi, you okay?" Kazumi and her Eevee had worked their way over to her side, Toyohisa's Scrafty rebounding from the unexpected attack within the few seconds it took for her to cross the distance. Oichi gave a nod in return, a bit more confident in her stance due to the additional presence.

"I'm fine, Lady Kazumi."

"Right, then-"

"High Jump Kick!" the two girls only had a few seconds to shout out their orders before Scrafty soared through the air and landed a direct hit on Jigglypuff, the Balloon Pokémon miraculously not getting knocked out after being launched a few feet back from the onslaught. The Evolution Pokémon lunged forward at it its Dual Type opponent with a Quick Attack, the streak of light quickly dissipating as it crashed into the orange Pokémon's side and sent it stumbling back in retaliation.

"Poison Jab, Scrafty!" the lanky arm of the Pokémon, covered in a sickly purple, shot out and socked the brown Pokémon across its face. Eevee cried out and the Hoodlum Pokémon prepared to unleash another toxic punch, only for it to get knocked back by a Rollout from Jigglypuff.

"Sing, Jigglypuff!"

"Assist with Helping Hand!"

"Stop that puffball with Faint Attack!" while Jigglypuff churned out multi-tonal musical notes of different colors, Eevee standing next to it with a paw placed upon one of the Pokémon's ears, Scrafty swiftly jumped from spot to spot to avoid coming into contact with them. It was getting closer and closer with each hop-like step, and Kazumi was about to shout out another attack when a familiar voice cut her off.

"Now! Dig, Eevee!" the ground directly in Scrafty's path crumbled, Tadashi's Eevee shooting out of the hole in the ground and slamming into the Hoodlum Pokémon's stomach. It was sent flying back, crashing through a few of the colored notes in the process and snoring loudly by the time it collided with the dirt of the road, but the focus of the three combatants turned to the Warlord that had just arrived.

"Brother!?" the female twin's voice was more relieved than shocked, and he gave a nod in return from his place opposite to them. Tadashi noticed the opposing Pokémon stir and slowly get back on its feet, the Pugilite silently thanking its curative ability as it rejoined his side.

"We'll have time to talk later," Kazumi gave a nod as well and then shifted her gaze back to her opponent. Toyohisa had taken a few steps to the side to avoid being completely flanked, Scrafty standing warily in front of him.

"Quick Attack!" the two Warlords had shouted out in unison, both their partners charging forward at the same time.

"Protect, Scrafty!" the Hoodlum Pokémon raised its arms just in time to raise the barrier of green energy, the two Evolution Pokémon harmlessly bouncing off of it.

"Sing, Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff sent out another wave of notes as the protective move began to wear off, the notes quickly enveloping the Pokémon before lulling it to sleep once more. Both Warlords pointed at the downed Pokémon again, ordering another charge, and only a few seconds passed before the two Eevees crashed into the Scrafty again. This time, after tumbling a few feet back, the Dual Type failed to get up and Toyohisa quickly fell back and scooped it up in his arms. Tadashi swiftly ran over to them, his Eevee hopping up on his shoulder in the process.

"C'mon, they can finish up here! We need to deal with Yoshihiro!" there was little room to argue with him or say otherwise, not that Kazumi particularly disagreed, as Tadashi continued on his path after slowing down long enough to shout out, the two other Aurorans quickly falling in behind him.

* * *

Yoshihiro looked down at the Luxray breathing heavily, still managing to glare at his partner, in mild admiration. Dosetsu had appeared with a small group of warriors to halt his advance, and he had ordered his own guard of four to stand down and prevent anyone else from interfering in the ensuing conflict. Most of his opponents had been beaten back with relative ease, but the crippled Warlord's partner had put up a fight that managed to delay him far longer than expected. Conkeldurr was beginning to show signs of tiredness, but it was clear that Luxray was the losing one, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon's forepaws looking like they would give out at any second.

"Thank you, Dosetsu, I believe that will do," the order that Yoshihiro was about to give died in his throat at the new voice, the retired Warlord and the defeater warriors behind parting to let the Greenleafer and his partner through. The grassy-haired man gave a nod to Dosetsu, and he replied with one of his own before turning and motioning for his warriors to do the same. Motonari returned his attention to Yoshihiro as the others left, the massive Warlord crossing his arms and waiting for the man's inevitable comment.

"I don't suppose it would be reasonable to ask you to surrender?" that caused him to let out a laugh.

"I came here for a battle! Victory, defeat; both are irrelevant," Motonari's eyes narrowed slightly, his Servine taking a few silent steps forward.

"To you, but they have consequences for others," Yoshihiro let out a dismissive sigh.

"That will hardly matter if those two can't even best me. Only by pushing someone to their limits can they surpass them."

"Yes, and now that you've forced us into a corner you've gotten the battle that you have so desired. And at what cost?" another chuckle came from the maroon-encumbered Warlord at the strategist's question.

"I don't think you have much room to be lecturing me on costs. Or do I have to bring up how you sacrificed your entire vanguard to capture Ignis and nearly destroyed its castle in the process? Or maybe about when you invaded Fontaine and herded all your opponents into the dikes? You were far more ruthless than I ever was. You've even orchestrated the entire flow of this battle, haven't you?" the look on Motonari's face was a strange combination of regret and anger.

"Yes. And though I am not proud of what I have done, I will do what is necessary to stop a man who fights solely for the sake of it," the aged Warlord grinned.

"Good! Now prove it!" the Greenleafer frowned.

"As you wish. Servine; Leaf Blade. Propel yourself forwards with Leaf Tornado," the Grass Snake Pokémon's tail gained a green sheen and it quickly conjured up a small whirlwind of leaves, lunging forwards and slamming it into the ground to send itself upwards.

"Stop it with Stone Edge!" Conkeldurr slammed the pillars it was clutching into the grass, sending large chunks of rock and dirt flying in the charging Grass Type's direction. Servine frantically twisted and flung itself across the field to avoid the projectiles, before unleashing another Leaf Tornado on the ground when there was nothing left to avoid and shooting itself into Conkeldurr's gut. The larger Fighting Type cried out in shock, stumbling back as Servine preformed a backflip off the Muscular Pokémon's midsection to land a safe distance a few feet away, only to have to quickly roll away to dodge the retaliatory Hammer Arm. Servine then twisted itself around, slashing out at the taller Pokémon's disproportionately smaller leg, while Conkeldurr maneuvered one of its concrete pillars to block the attack. The Grass Type quickly withdrew from its offensive before its opponent could bring its spare pillar down upon it, and Conkeldurr flowed up with another wide swipe that forced the lithe Pokémon back even further.

"Crush it with Hammer Arm!"

"Leech Seed on its legs, quickly," Conkeldurr took a step forward, bringing the giant concrete slab above its head in preparation to send it crashing down on Servine, only for the Pokémon to quickly shoot out a seed. Vines quickly erupted from it, entangling the Fighting Type's leg and causing it to trip as it executed the attack, giving Servine ample time to avoid the move and surge forward, slamming into Conkeldurr's vulnerable head with another Leaf Blade.

"Break free and show our strength!" Yoshihiro's voice seemed to reinvigorate the Pokémon, which, to a both the shock and chagrin of their opponents, effortlessly broke out of the hold of the Leech Seed. Servine had fled back to Motonari's side, eyeing the development cautiously. The two Pokémon remained in a brief standoff until Motonari's voice cut through the tension.

"Leaf Tornado," Servine quickly conjured another gust of foliage, and Motonari's voice lowered by a few octaves. "Follow up with Leaf Blade."

The Grass Snake Pokémon gave a nod before shooting forwards across the field, while Yoshihiro eyed the incoming attack suspiciously. "Break it, and be ready to counterattack."

Conkeldurr swung one of its pillars outwards, burying it in the ground and dissipating the wind in time to see Servine using it as a ramp. Before the Grass Type could climb up and strike Conkeldurr on the head again, the Fighting Type used the other pillar to swipe out at Servine, knocking off the Pokémon and sending it sprawling over to the side. "Hammer Arm!"

"Servine, to your left," the Pokémon tried to roll out from the attack, but cried out in pain when Conkeldurr managed to catch its tail. The Fighting Type prepared to follow up with another attack, undoubtedly seeing that the Pokémon would not be able to handle another attack, and Motonari saw his chance.

"Quickly, Servine; Leaf Tornado!" Servine twisted itself, wincing in pain slightly as its pinned tail disagreed with the position of its body, and unleashed a hastily summoned Leaf Tornado that succeeded in throwing the muscle Pokémon off balance. The Grass Type quickly escaped, scurrying back to Motonari's side while Conkeldurr lumbered back to Yoshihiro's. The Warlord of Pugilis took a glance at his beleaguered partner, and then to the equally tired Pokémon across the field, a grin managing to break out on his face. The next attack would decide the battle.

"Now _this_ is the spice of life!" Motonari frowned slightly, but said nothing. "Let's see whose will is stronger! Superpower!"

"Leaf Blade, and please be careful," the two combatants surged forward, Servine slashing upwards, only to be easily blocked. The Grass Type dodged the first swipe, but froze up when it saw the second coming down.

"Leaf Tornado!" Servine managed to call up a final attack and lifted it above its head, only for Conkeldurr's Superpower to effortlessly cut through it and slam green Pokémon into the ground. The Muscular Pokémon took a step back, looking down warily at the unconscious Pokémon in the small crater that the fallout of the attack had created, before turning around and heading back to Yoshihiro's side.

Motonari, who looked shocked at the sight, quickly regained his bearings. "Servine, if you could."

Yoshihiro's eyes widened. "What?"

Mere seconds later Conkeldurr cried out and collapsed, unconscious, the Grass Type landing atop of it and uncoiling its leaf-shaped tail. The Pokémon looked completely fatigued, but it was still far better than what the shocked Warlord of Pugilis had expected. The greying man's eyes raced over every detail on the field, mind running at an equally fast pace. The Warlord quickly pieced together what had happened when he looked past the strategist and to the warriors that had accompanied him and saw four pillars of lecherous vines, each encasing a Fighting Type.

_"Clever,"_ the man thought bitterly, before running over the details of what he had assumed was the finishing blow. _"And that Leaf Tornado was probably used to cushion the blow. It was just a matter turning our backs to them..."_

"Looks like we're too late," the two turned as the twin Warlords and Oichi arrived on the scene, Kazumi's eyes shifting between the two while Oichi let out a relieved sigh. "At least it's over. Hanbei and Kanbei are mopping up the last of the stragglers, and- Is Servine okay?"

"Hm?" Motonari's attention returned to his partner, who had moved back to his side, and he took a step back in surprise. "Oh my!"

The Grass Type was suddenly enveloped by a burst of light, completely obscuring its form, before the Pokémon's frame began to shift. Motonari let a small smile overcome him. "Well, I certainly didn't plan for this."

When the light dissipated after a few seconds, Serperior let out a triumphant cry and looked down at its new form. Takakage had chosen that time to appear, charging up the incline as fast as his legs could carry him. "Father, we've- Servine evolved!?"

Motonari only smiled and rubbed a hand across the Pokémon's snout, the Regal Pokémon smiling in response. "It would appear so."

"Congratulations," Yoshihiro muttered dryly, drawing the group's attention back to him. Kazumi turned to Tadashi, but he only took a step back and shook his head.

"You led us through this one, sister. I have no say in this," the brunette gave a weary nod and resigned sigh in return, and shifted her gaze to the imposing Warlord standing across from them.

"As for you, Yoshihiro," he raised an eyebrow when she closed her eyes, muttering something under her breath, before the girl's sapphire orbs fell back on him. "Go back to Pugilis."

Her voice had about as much hesitation in it as the amount of shock that her statement generated. Kazumi took a deep breath, but carried on, refusing to break eye contact with the older Warlord. He could see the begrudging respect mixed with an amount of anger in them. "Whether or not I like it, we'll need Pugilis' strength if we're going to win this war."

He gave a curt nod, reaching down and lifting up his semi-conscious Pokémon. "Fine, you've earned my respect. I'll go gather my warriors."

Yoshihiro was gone within a few seconds, and Motonari turned back to his smiling partner. "So, you've evolved after all these years, huh?"

Serperior let out a happy reply and began to wrap around the Greenleafer in its attempt at a hug, much to Takakage's horror. A loud pop followed a few seconds later, and Oichi looked around somewhat nervously.

"What was that sound?"

"My back..." Motonari wheezed out, and Serperior uncoiled itself with a rather sheepish utterance. The strategist stretched his arms and grunted. "That... Feels quite nice, actually. Thank you Serperior."

Tadashi cleared his throat quietly, and Kazumi turned around to face him. The twin took a deep breath and looked down slightly. "I owe you an apology, Kazumi. I let my self pity consume me and-"

"Tadashi," he stopped and looked back up to see her smiling. "Let's just not worry for the moment."

"Uh, about that," Hanbei commented. The twins turned to see him approaching with an unfamiliar scroll in his hands and a nervous look across his face. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we just got a report that Terrera-Illusio's taken Chrysalia."

"What!?"

* * *

The dual banners of Illusio and Terrera, white and red respectively, now flew from the walls of Chrysalia's castle. Not that any of the residents below noticed or particularly cared. Yukimura was seated on the steps to Chrysalia's keep, polishing the spear in his lap, while Kanetsugu marched back and forth in front of him. Kenshin's protégé finally stopped his frantic pacing and threw his hands up into the air with a frustrated sigh.

"I- I-" Kanetsugu seemed at a loss for words, hands slinking under the edges of his pointed helmet, presumably to rub his temples, before the Illusite finally managed to finish his thought. "I can't believe all we had to do was play a game of Pokémari with him..."

Yukimura nodded, but didn't look up from his weapon. "And to think he was once considered someone of Lord Shingen's caliber, too..."

"Well, that doesn't matter now," Kunoichi's voice came from right behind Kanetsugu, and the white-clad warrior let out a squeal and spun around.

"Kunoichi! I keep telling you not to sneak up on me!" the ninja only crossed her arms and pouted.

"But it's so fun..."

"It's dishonorable!"

"So is your scream..." the black-clad girl muttered, before turning her attention to Yukimura, who was still disinterestedly running the cloth over the sharp edges of the metal. She gave an unusually serious bow to the Warlord, her voice losing any hint of mischievousness. "Aurora's defeated Pugilis, Lord Yukimura."

That caused the crimson-wearing warrior's head to shoot up quickly, and any righteous anger Kanetsugu had left quickly dissipated. "What?"

The brunette only gave another nod in affirmation, and Kanetsugu put a hand to his chin. "Then that means we'll have to defend Chrysalia on our own. Lord Kenshin can't afford to overextend our lines."

"We'll have to hurry then," Yukimura stood. "Lords Shingen and Kenshin are counting on us."


	29. Chapter 29

By the time morning had come the following day, Aurora's army had already vanished from the Normal Type Kingdom, marching over the steep mountain passes of Ignis as quickly as they could, and only stopping in the kingdom's castle long enough to have breakfast. The opulent throne room was packed with warriors and Pokémon, all quietly eating. Takakage took a nervous glance around the room, the blond slowly weaving through the various groups that had filled the room to the brim, eyes darting around frantically. Tadashi was quietly eating his food, Eevee stretched out across one of his folded legs, while Kazumi and Oichi talked happily about some subject that managed to escape him. Hanbei's eyes were begin to droop, masking the glassy look in his eyes, and the pastry that was in his hand slowly slipped out of his grip and fell to the floor, while Kanbei just sat with his arms crossed and a small frown etched onto his pale features. Ginchiyo was busy running a brush through Luxio's mane while Muneshige looked on in barely contained amusement, the Electric Type clearly being displeased over both. Motonari and Serperior where nowhere to be seen.

Takakage looked down to the Wood Gecko Pokémon by his side, who only nodded understandingly in response. The boy silently made his way to the exit, weaving behind the marble columns while his partner took the easier route of silently crawling across the walls until they both reached the massive doors, slipping out of the room without anyone noticing. It was hard to tell how much time had passed as the Greenleafer and his partner ran about the castle, and later the town itself, in his search, but as he stumbled into a small cemetery purely out of desperation, having found no sign of his father anywhere else, the aspiring strategist raised an eyebrow when he saw a bit of blue and green peeking out from the sea of lifeless grey around him. The boy took a few light, almost respectful, steps forward, while Treecko climbed up on his shoulder, and he cleared his throat when he was standing a few feet behind his father.

Serperior, coiled besides the strategist, snapped its head back but softened its glare when it saw him, and Motonari, leaning over a certain gravestone, stood back upright and turned around. The blond caught sight of a few white petals and the edge of a stem resting atop the marker when the man moved, noting in the back of his head that the heat of the kingdom would cause the flower to shrivel up in a few hours when the sun was firmly overhead, but it was gone from his sight in seconds.

"Ah! Good morning, Takakage," the boy's eyes shifted back to his father.

"Good morning, father," a small frown overtook him. "Father, what are you doing here?"

Motonari hummed and glanced back at the tombstone behind him, gaze softening into what looked like a mixture of disappointment and reverence as his eyes landed on it. "I'm just paying my respects to my old mentor..."

"Mentor, father?" Takakage blinked in both confusion and disbelief, half of his mind trying to figure out who could have been great enough to have taught his father, and the other half trying to figure out why he was buried in Ignis. Both were answered and quickly replaced with shock when Motonari saw the puzzled look that had overcome his face and stepped to the side, giving the boy a clear view of the name engraved on the rock. "I thought you said Tsunehisa Amago was your nemesis!?"

Motonari let a small smile cross his face at the shock in his son's voice, and he looked back down at the grave. "He was, yes. Tsunehisa was a brilliant, but evil, man, and though our quarrel lasted about a decade, I still owe much of what I can do to him."

A wistful chuckle escaped the Greenleafer, the man putting a hand to his chin, eyes glancing up at the grey skies. "Does that make me evil too, I wonder?"

Takakage, still busy trying to comprehend how someone could possibly mentor his father, looked back at him in even more shock. Before the boy could fervently say anything to the contrary, Motonari chuckled once more and looked back down at the tomb. "Oh well, I suppose there is little I can do about the past. Tsunehisa is in the ground now, a man who outlasted his time..."

The edges of the strategist's lips curled upwards ever so slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Are we truly that different?"

A somber air descended over the two after the man's question, growing as thick and discomforting as the cloudy skies above them, until Takakage cleared his throat loudly and drew his father's attention away from the rock. "Father?"

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?" Motonari responded with one of his usual, calm smiles that masked his actual thoughts. His son only narrowed his eyes slightly, as if sharpening his gaze to pierce through his parent's façade, but it seemed to have no effect on the older man's unfettered disposition.

"Why would you think something's wrong, Takakage?" the boy's face shifted into a deadpan.

"You're slouching and talking about death at six in the morning," stickler as his father was over manners, seeing him slouching was as strange a sight as finding him in a cemetery first thing in the morning. Takakage's eyes darted down to the man's gloved hand when he caught his thumb darting over his middle finger, brushing against the ring underneath for a second. It was one of many subtle motions that his father had taught him to look for when trying to discern the truth, and for a split second the boy wondered if the strategist had ever conceived it would be used against him. Takakage decided that it was irrelevant, and instead focused on his hunch.

"Does this have to do with mother, father?" Motonari's demeanor remained unshakable in the face of the accusation, but the orange-clad boy could tell that some subtle change had occurred in the recesses of the man's gaze. Motonari placed a hand on the shoulder that was not occupied by a Grass Type, looking down on him in a manner that hid his thoughts but still projected what he wanted someone to see in their place, and smiled a smile that only a parent could have.

"You needn't worry about me, son," he paused for a moment, but Takakage's stare refused to budge. "If anything, I should be worried over you. Did you eat breakfast before coming out here?"

"Did you?" that got a more upbeat chuckle out of him.

"Then I suppose that means we can eat together," Motonari walked around him, giving his son a gentle nudge on the shoulder in the process, Serperior close behind. Takakage followed in quiet hesitation, but still stole a glance up at the strategist walking besides him. He might not have been able to see the pain, he might not have even been certain his father did, either, but the boy knew it was there. Reality couldn't be ignored forever.

* * *

The time to march had come again, and Motonari's duties required him to be near the front, alongside his apprentices and the Warlords, leaving Takakage to march alongside his brother and Ekei in Greenleaf's column.

"Brother?" Motoharu kept walking, but managed to angle his head to catch the blond of his younger sibling's hair in the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, Takakage?"

"I'm worried about father," the taller sibling turned back to the front.

"You're always worried about him," his tone might have been somewhat, and uncharacteristically, dismissive, but Takakage knew in the back of his head that Motoharu was still listening.

"I know, but it has to do with mother this time," A quiet sigh from Ekei drew both the sibling's attention to the older man. Takakage was the first to say something.

"Do you know something, Mr. Ekei?" the old retainer frowned slightly, trying to avoid eye contact with the two by looking down at the dirt of the road beneath them.

"I do not think your father would wish me to burden you with the details, young master, nor do I believe any of us might be of help this time," Takakage frowned, but Motoharu cleared his throat.

"Ekei, as acting Warlord of Greenleaf, and as a concerned son, I _request_ you tell us," Takakage stared on at his older brother in muted disbelief and slight awe, wondering what had happened over the course of the few months he had been away from his home to turn his brother into the leader that he had clearly become. But he pushed any thoughts about that aside when the retainer spoke through a tight frown that radiated disappointment.

"Today would have been Lord Motonari's twentieth wedding anniversary," that caused a disquieting calm to settle over the trio, before Takakage cut through it, his sentiments echoing his brother's.

"Is there anything we can do?" Ekei shook his head heavily.

"I'm afraid not; just give your father some space to grieve," Motoharu nodded reluctantly, but his younger sibling was far more vocal in his dissension.

"But... Father, he looked-" the oldest Greenleafer cut him off with another sigh. Takakage was simply a son concerned over his father, and had a father who was as equally concerned over his son, and so it tended to lead to situations where he was unable to comprehend that, sometimes, the best course of action was simply inaction.

"Both of you were too young to remember, but Lord Motonari has learned how to cope over the years. He will be fine," concern was still written all over the blonde's face.

"I've never seen father act like this, though."

"There were worse times," the two siblings quickly eyed Ekei, silently commanding him to carry on. He did with a resigned nod.

* * *

_The weather was always mild in Greenleaf. Harsh sunlight and heavy rainfall rarely struck the kingdom; the gentle light that always cast itself down on the kingdom giving a calming sense of normality to those below._

_Motonari was convinced it was silently mocking him._

_It was as if the sunlight that cascaded down around him, weaving through the trees that covered the secluded garden he was in, was whispering in his ears; silently reminding him that time never stopped its march, even through his weeping. Ambition was as fragile as a life, and it took the sudden sting of death for the Warlord to realize that._

_Slowly, painfully, Motonari rose his gaze from his prostrate kneeling, as if a simple, lifeless, tombstone could have commented on his condition, and quickly buried his head as another shudder overtook him, more sobs overtaking him. He found himself unable to be anywhere else, and yet the man could not bring himself to look up at the edifice in front of him. The conundrum would have frustrated him had it not only brought to light how truly pathetic he was. The strategist wondered in the back of his mind if the weight of his deeds had finally caught up with him, and then mused how cruelly ironic that it was his own wife who would do in his dreams of conquest unintentionally, rather than every enemy he had made pursuing them._

_The Warlord managed to steal another glance up at the grave, and managed to keep his gaze on it a little longer by focusing on his surroundings. It was a nice place for her to be buried, in all honesty; surrounded by the flowers she loved to tend to, like they were her children as well. At least they would be able to keep her company on their anniversary._

_Another round of sobs wracked him, Motonari inwardly yelling at himself that he should have done something. What little calculating rationale that remained inside him said that there was nothing he could have done, but it brought the Warlord far less comfort than trying to drown himself in the illusion that this was all some cruel trick to give him a taste of all the grief he had caused, or the more outlandish one that this was all some terrible, final scheme his old master concocted before his death. Even imagining what could have been done differently, not that anything could have been done differently, what things could be like, was more appealing, even as it only reminded the man of his loss._

_Would it have been any different, though? At least now, having given up his conquests, his ambition crushed, he was free to discard the cold existence he had made of his life -rationalized as having been the quickest path to bringing peace- and fully embrace despair. The man blinked, partially from the tears, partially from thought. Was he?_

_Motonari dared another look back up. He could only imagine her disapproving frown at his thoughts, one that would have quickly vanished in the face of a sympathetic smile and a warm reassurance, gently wrapping her hands around his as she told him to live on for their children, like she had done not so long ago. It all felt so distant, yet so agonizingly close._

_It was then that Ekei had made a rather panicked appearance, abruptly slowing down his frantic pace the moment he arrived, Motonari taking no notice of him. The older man's breathing was ragged, and as he desperately tried to steady it, he caught sight the Warlord's partner standing nearby. The Snivy simply stood, hopelessly mesmerized, unable to do anything other than watch. The retainer followed the Pokémon's gaze, watching in a somber silence with the Grass Type._

_It was a rather pathetic sight, really, seeing someone feared as one of the greatest minds in Ransei, a man having accomplished -quite ruthlessly, at that- in two years what no one had been able to do in over two hundred, bury his head in the ground and cry his heart out. Every fiber in Ekei's body told him to turn around, leave his lord alone and come up with some excuse for his absence, but duty pushed his steps forwards. The sounds of leaves crunching as he walked forward brought the sobbing Greenleafer out of his trance-like state, and he said nothing to the warrior upon standing up and trying futilely to recompose himself._

_The Warlord's gaze was distant and glassy, eyes puffy and red, and his knees were shaking to the point that it looked like he would collapse at a moments notice. The grassy-haired man's appearance didn't help Ekei's conscience._

_"My lord," he took a small gulp. "Violight's invaded."_

_"Have they, now?" Motonari's voice was as unsteady as his legs, and he staggered forward a bit. That spurred Snivy forwards, the Pokémon quickly joining his side and looking up in concern, silently pleading with him to not go in his current state. He just gave a forced, flimsy smile in return and slowly carried on. "Well, it would be improper to keep them waiting."_

_They reached the maze that served as the kingdom's battlefield after a while, where the three immediately saw what little warriors had remained of his once massive army in a standoff with another, slightly larger, group of warriors. Their arrival caused the Greenleaf warriors to part quickly, giving the strategist a view of his opponents. One of the first details he noticed was a sizeable amount of warriors with Fire Type partners, undoubtedly former Ignis warriors whose passions had been reignited at a chance to inflict a burning defeat upon their great enemy, and then his gaze fell to the front of the army. The man at the front, bald, with a well-trimmed mustache and beard, cloaked in elegant robes befitting a ruler, and standing resolute with a Jolteon by his side, was clearly the leader. He only raised an eyebrow in reserved incredulity at the man that stumbled forward to meet him, who was busy wiping the tears out of his eyes and stifling a snivel. A few seconds passed, the Violighter waiting patiently for him to recover before speaking out in an authoritative voice that quieted most of the whispering going on behind him._

_"You are Motonari Mori?" Motonari only gave another forced smile and scratched the back of his head sheepishly in response to the man's disbelief._

_"I get that a lot," the man standing ramrod straight next to the Greenleafer's opponent, a grizzled-looking warrior with a scar dangerously close to his eye, stretching from his slowly-greying hair to the bottom of his cheek, the Luxray glowering besides him making him look no more approachable, leaned in and whispered something into his lord's ear. The Warlord nodded quickly in return, his eyes darting back to Motonari, still standing shakily across from him._

_"Very well. I am Sorin Otomo, lord of Violight. Now, with the pleasantries dispensed of, why don't we begin?" the Warlord of Greenleaf nodded, awkwardly trying his best to appear as determined as his opponents, and led them into the massive hedge maze that served as the battlefield. The Warlord took up his usual space in the center of the maze, looking down forlornly at the blades of grass from his seat until shouting some distance away caused him to look up with a heavy sigh. A few seconds passed, but before Motonari could lower his gaze again, a couple of his warriors ran into the clearing with their fatigued or unconscious partners, followed by the enemy Warlord and a few of his men. The grassy-haired man saw that the scarred warrior was holding one of the banners, but he failed to see the other in their ranks. Not that it mattered, anymore._

_"Pin Missile!" the command caused Motonari to lethargically shift his gaze over to the Jolteon, watching as streams of light quickly shot out of the yellow Pokémon's spiky fur and towards his Grass Type partner. The battlefield erupted into chaos seconds later, the handful of warriors that had were surrounding him quickly calling out attacks of their own. He watched distantly as events unfolded, it was difficult to discern much of anything, the battle slowly blending into mass of colors and shouts melding into a disorienting cacophony, but he could tell that Snivy had dodged the initial barrage and was desperately fending off both Jolteon and Luxray. From there, it became quickly apparent that the Grass Snake Pokémon was outmatched. The Grass Type dodged and counterattacked desperately, Motonari watching on lifelessly and weakly calling out commands out of instinct when the situation became particularly dire. The strategist was jolted out of the bog of his thoughts when a Pin Missile landed dangerously close to his partner, launching it back to his side._

_Motonari's gaze slowly shifted down to the Pokémon, which was struggling to stand back up. His lips contorted into a dismayed frown when he saw the Pokémon's bruised body, the cuts and scrapes and electrical burns that danced across its nimble frame. Snivy continued to fight and suffer for him; a broken Warlord whose sins and sacrifices had, in the end, all been for naught. The sound of heavy steps that occasionally became stomps were nothing more than a distant echo, but he had to look up when Luxray's shadow finally loomed over the fatigued Grass Type._

_"Finish this, Luxray! Thunder Fang!" Luxray reared back, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon's maw crackling with electricity as it brought down the attack on its opponent. Motonari spared a second's glance back to his struggling partner. The Pokémon, so faithful and unwavering, did not deserve to suffer for his mistakes anymore._

_The pained screech that echoed across the clearing wasn't Snivy's._

_Their battle, and many of the nearby ones, abruptly grinded to a halt as Luxray reeled back at the sight of the Greenleafer kneeling below it, clutching his collarbone and struggling to both steady his ragged breathing and not fall into the grass. The smell of burnt flesh and blood, slowly turning the shredded shoulder of his jacket crimson, did not stop a hollow chuckle from escaping Motonari's lips as he looked back at the shocked Snivy._

_"I... I'm sorry, Snivy... For everything," nothing else needed to be said; the Pokémon understood what remained through their link. A sudden burst of light overcame the Grass Type, the sight of its frame shifting snapping the two Violighters out of their shock._

_"Halt!" anyone still fighting immediately stopped at the command from Sorin, who looked down on the wounded man in a mixture of repressed horror and anger. "I don't know what deception this is, but I refuse to watch some proxy discard his life!"_

_"Proxy..." Motonari whispered, sounding almost amused as the word escaped his lips. But, in an almost mocking way, his opponent's conclusion made sense. The Motonari that had brought the entire southwest under his thumb, the Motonari that had become something of a legend, was a cold and calculating man, subtly weaving his schemes from the shadows. He would not have done something so overt, nor have been willing to take the blow for a friend. The Greenleafer felt his legs give out at last, and he let out another cry in agony when he landed on his shoulder. Servine, not even bothering to get comfortable with its new form, quickly bolted to its partner's side._

_"Proxy!" the burning in the Warlord's chest and the weakness of his voice did not stop him from letting out a muffled bout of laughter that bordered on hysterical, more of his warriors quickly joining Servine in helping him back on his feet, one ripping off one of his sleeves and trying to tie it around his shoulder. Motonari paid them no heed. It was all too much for him to bear. Sorin looked at the broken man only standing with the help of his retainers and then turned to the warrior next to him._

_"It's time for us to return to Violight, Dosetsu," both Motonari and Dosetsu shifted their gazes to the Electric Type user at his declaration._

_"Lord Sorin?" the Warlord of Violight glanced at the grassy-haired man in pity before turning back to his subordinate._

_"A man who would throw away life so readily is not one we are prepared to fight against. Not yet," another fit of silent laughter escaped Motonari's lips at the comment, the Warlord's head dangling limply like a puppet whose strings had been cut as he was dragged further back by the company of warriors surrounding him._

_Sorin watched them move back a bit, put a hand to his beard and then shook his head. "It's also likely we have walked into a trap, and we can't risk too many causalities with Pugilis pressing on our borders."_

_That might have been the official reasoning, but it was plain for Dosetsu to see that the scene had rattled his lord. He could empathize. The two, along with their warriors, quickly made for the entrance to the clearing and hurried out, Motonari letting out a uneven sigh that almost bordered on a whimper before closing his eyes._

* * *

By the time Ekei finished his recollection, he didn't need to look up to know that horror had written itself across the siblings faces. Takakage was the first to recover, increasing his slowed pace and blinking a few times to clear his eyes.

"Why... Why didn't Father just say something?" to the surprise of the blond, the answer came from his brother.

"Father... Father probably didn't want to burden us. He never does..." Ekei nodded solemnly, lips pursed dourly.

"Yes, and I suspect Lord Motonari wouldn't approve of me having talked to you about this, either," Takakage nodded and looked down at the ground while Motoharu folded his arms against his chest and gave a resigned sigh, the three continuing their trek in silence.

* * *

By noon, the Aurora Army had already left Pugilis behind, Motochika and Yoshihiro staying along with most of the warriors from Greenleaf to check Shingen, and were quickly approaching Chrysalia. After crossing over a few of the grassy hills that laid on the outskirts of the city, the warriors found themselves maneuvering through the maze of buildings. Tadashi marveled at how passive the citizens were, only sparing a few passing glances at what was obviously an invading army marching down the main street of the city before continuing with their everyday lives, and silently tried to decide exactly how it reflected on Yoshimoto's leadership. If the people around them even still remembered that the man was still around.

"Seems Terrera's as lax on their defenses as Yoshimoto," Hanbei remarked disinterestedly, arms wrapped behind his head. Mitsunari shook his head, before turning onto the road that led up to the grotesquely ornate castle.

"They're probably just holed up in the castle," Kanbei let out a dismissive sigh as he ducked to avoid a stray tree branch, the stone path becoming increasingly scarce as they marched deeper into the unkempt garden.

"We should not underestimate them regardless. I suspect numbers will be of little-"

"Psybeam, Kadabra!"

"Faint Attack!" there was barely enough time to react at the unexpected commands, Lampent and Kanbei clumsily sidestepping the psychic energy which ended up landing dangerously close to Hanbei, only for a lithe, black Pokémon to quickly dart up and strike the Lamp Pokémon over the head, retreating before the albino had a chance to give an order. Tadashi, having managed to recover from the shock more quickly than anyone else in the front, quickly scanned the area ahead for any sign of the white-cloaked young man and black-clad girl that had vanished as suddenly as they appeared. Many of the Warriors around him were still panicking or startled, and the fact that Kanetsugu appeared in another burst of telekinetic light behind their ranks, this time with a handful of other Illusio warriors, did little to help the situation.

"In the name of honor we will defeat you!" the Illusite pointed an accusatory finger in the co-Warlord's direction. "Psybeam, again Kadabra!"

The Psi Pokémon quickly conjured up another ray of Psychic energy, shooting it into the panicking warriors along with the other collage of Psychic Type attacks being hurled in their direction. Ginchiyo was the first to regain her bearings, quickly rushing into the thick of the onslaught and eyeing their attackers with an amount of her usual ire before shouting out a command.

"Stop them with Thunderbolt!" Luxio slammed its forepaws into the ground, letting out a proud roar and unleashing an arc of crackling electricity that easily cut through the attacks in its path. The sudden burst of electricity forced Kanetsugu and his warriors to scatter, giving Aurora's army enough time to regroup and begin a counterattack. Takakage, trying to regain his breath after a stray attack got dangerously close and knocked him off balance, watched as more of the warriors turned to face the Psychic-using attackers.

"Teleportation..." Motonari, standing nearby and far more composed, nodded at the wheezed observation.

"Illusio's preferred tactic, though I suspect it's only a distr-"

"Charge! Fire Fang!" both Greenleafers spun around in time to see a crimson-clad warrior leading another group against them, the Flame Pokémon sprinting beside him speeding up and lunging at the small Grass Type next to the blond. Charmeleon crashed into Treecko, bringing its fiery maw down onto the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Takakage's partner cried out in pain and managed to squirm its way out of the Fire Type's grip at the boy's encouragement, only for Charmelon to follow up with another attack that sent the smaller Pokémon spiraling into the air. Treecko landed some distance away, Takakage quickly giving chase and tossing himself into the thick grass below to cushion his partner's fall.

Both warrior and Pokémon quickly got back up, Treecko a bit more shakily than Takakage, only for the Grass Type to deftly sidestep a Mud Shot from a Quagsire whose partner fought he would be an easy target. The blond scowled as some of the mud splashed on the hem of his orange coat, but quickly refocused on his new opponent.

"Use Absorb, Treecko!" the beleaguered Pokémon darted forward, crashing into the bulky Dual Type across from it and unleashing the draining attack. While Treecko was busy pressing against the Water Fish Pokémon, rapidly sapping away its energy, the boy spared a second's glance over at his father, who was busy fending off a handful of warriors while the others passed by and charged deeper into the fray, only for Kunoichi's Sneasel to appear, quickly deliver an Ice Punch to Serperior, and disappear before the Pokémon could react. His head then swung back to Yukimura, who was locked in a battle Hanbei and Kanbei.

"Electro Ball, Pikachu!"

"Smog," the Terreran's eyes darted between the two tacticians, hands clinched as the two attacks closed in. Though the purple clout slowly took up the entire path ahead, the Junior Warlord was still able to make out the silhouettes moving behind it.

"Jump and counter with Dragon Rage! Aim for the center!" the yellow orb of electricity rocketed out of the haze seconds later, Charmeleon jumping up just in time to avoid the attack, before managing to pull off a somersault mid-air and unleash an inferno of purple flames into the smog.

"Dodge with Agility, Pikachu!" Yukimura allowed the corners of his lips to curl upwards, and quickly pointed in the direction he heard the command.

"Again, Charmeleon!" the Flame Pokémon leaned back and shot out another ball of fire into the noxious fog, punching through the condensation and this time causing a distinctive high-pitched squeal. The polluted air started to dissipate, parting enough for the warrior in crimson to see that he had managed to land a direct hit on Hanbei's Pikachu, the Pokémon on all fours and looking like it would faint at any moment, and then noticed that Lampent had materialized a very short distance away from Charmeleon, an ethereal ball of light between the two planks that served as its arms. Kanbei's pursed lips softened into a half-smirk.

"Release, Lampent."

"Not on my watch!" Kunoichi dropped down from her perch in the tree overhead, landing silently next to Yukimura, while Sneasel came down on Lampent with a Faint Attack, slamming its claws into the rim of the Ghost Type and forcing it into the ground before it could unleash its attack. Lampent managed to avoid the inevitable follow-up attack, unleashing a weak Fire Spin to keep Sneasel at bay and negate another round of Dragon Rage from Charmeleon. Kanbei and Hanbei quickly exchanged glances; the tactician in white's usual calm, half-asleep visage having melted in the face of a more dire one, brow knitted and lips curling downwards as he picked up his partner. Kanbei gave a curt nod before returning his attention to the two Terrerans.

"Fire Spin once more," the Lamp Pokémon quickly brought up another wall of spinning flames, and when it faded away seconds later, the two tacticians had been replaced by the twin Warlords.

"Quick Attack!" the two Evolution Pokémon running alongside them sprung forward, leaping and crisscrossing as they bounded across the field.

"Counter with Fire Fang!"

"Faint Attack and Ice Punch, Sneasel," Kazumi's Eevee crashed into Charmeleon, knocking the Pokémon down only to have it latch down on one of its legs, while Sneasel dropped to the ground at last moment to avoid its opponent's charge and delivered a swift punch to the Pokémon's underside. Tadashi's Eevee skidded across the ground, while Charmeleon used its vice-grip on the Pokémon's counterpart to toss it into the air.

"Now; use Shadow Ball, Eevee!" the Evolution Pokémon used the momentum to spin around and bombard the Fire Type with a series of black, pulsing orbs, while Tadashi's partner quickly burrowed underground, charging out of its foxhole seconds later and slamming into Sneasel before retreating to its partner's side along with the other Eevee. Kunoichi's eyes darted from her partner, the Sharp Claw Pokémon having returned to her side to lick its wounds, and past their opponents to the other side of the field. She could make out the horns of Kanetsugu's helmet, shifting as he darted across the field and shouted out orders in a voice that was loud enough to be distinguishable against the clamor of the entire battle. A few blasts of psychic energy followed his voice, only for them to be torn apart by arcs of crackling electricity, and the ninja turned to look at her lord, who only gave her a silent nod. Kunoichi and Sneasel vanished in a burst of smoke seconds later, Tadashi blinking in confusion and exchanging an identical glance with his sister, only for the battle with Shingen's protégé was quickly renewed with another burst of Dragon Rage.

The three Warlords traded attacks, neither side managing to gain the upper hand, but the battle was brought to an abrupt halt when Kanetsugu and Kunoichi reappeared in front of Yukimura in a flash of blinding light, the Illusite forcing them to take cover with a well timed Psybeam before teleporting away with Yukimura. A few seconds of tense silence followed before the male twin realized that the battlefield had fallen completely quiet; no attacks being shouted, no Pokémon yelling out their names as they gave and received attacks, his own unsteady breathing being the most deafening sound to him. The Warlord looked around cautiously, taking in the confused warriors and destruction around him, and then refocusing his attention on the castle above them.

"Quickly! We can't give them any time to regroup!" Tadashi took off after drawing the attention of the other warriors, thundering up the garden path that led to the Chrysalia's Castle, Aurora's Army close behind.

* * *

Kanetsugu's grip on his charms tightened as he watched the gates to the castle tremble threateningly, each attack the Aurorans on the other side unleashed causing the hinges of the ornate doors to budge dangerously. The handful of warriors spread out across the courtyard slowly edged forward in preparation. The tension slowly became unbearable, the Illusite's eyes narrowing and hands clenching as the gates let out a creak, before they were finally forced open with another Iron Tail from Hanbei's Pikachu.

"Charge!" Kenshin's protégé shouted from his place at the top of the steps leading up to Chrysalia's keep, an arm outstretched and pointed at the Aurorans pouring into the garden-like courtyard. "They will come no further! Show these dishonorable knaves our spirit!"

The courtyard erupted into a massive melee a few seconds after Kanetsugu's declaration, warriors and Pokémon clashing in the enclosed space, attacks and commands flying as fast as possible. The youth scowled as he noticed a handful of warriors manage to squirm their way through the battlefield, charging through the attacks flying overhead and straight up to him. The white-clad warrior's eyes shifted from Kazumi to the two tacticians behind her, his Kadabra jumping down from his side to face its soon-to-be opponents, and he followed with an aggressive step forward and a fist raised in the air.

"In the name of honor, love, justice," Hanbei rolled his eyes, a devious smirk overcoming his features, and the tactician promptly pantomimed Kanetsugu's stance.

"Platitudes!" Kanbei sighed and shook his head while the female twin let a bout of barely-suppressed laughter escape her. Kanetsugu remained oblivious.

"And platitudes, we will... defeat..." the Illusite blinked, shoulders slumping and arm falling to his side, while his voice lost much of its previous zeal. Kanetsugu finally let out a weary sigh and shook his head. "Just attack..."

The Psychic Type pointed the spoon in its hand at the Eevee before it, shooting out a beam of blue kinetic energy. Eevee quickly dodged, opening up its maw and forming a ball of black energy while Kazumi jumped back to avoid the attack. The Mouse Pokémon standing besides Eevee swiftly dashed forwards, its lightning-shaped tail having gained a metallic sheen, while the Dual Type floating aloofly above them went about forming another ball of mesmerizing light.

"Block with Reflect and Teleport!" Kanetsugu's voice had regained its gusto, and Kadabra responded just as enthusiastically, shouting out its name and creating a telepathic barrier that caused Pikachu to bounce off its harmlessly, before quickly vanishing into space with another burst of light that forced the three Warlords to shield their eyes. Hanbei's purple eyes darted around the field, an action copied by Kanbei and Kazumi, quickly trying to single out an area where Kadabra would be likely to reappear at. The answer quickly came in the form of the Psychic Type rematerializing before a now-startled Eevee, spoon held menacingly in front of the Evolution Pokémon's face as it prepared another Psybeam.

"Agility and Iron Tail," his partner sprung forward, a blur as it quickly closed the gap and bashed the Psi Pokémon over the head with its metal-coated tail before it had time to counter, the attack that it had been about to release harmless firing into the ground. Kazumi took the chance to quickly shout out for Eevee to use another Shadow Ball, the super-effective attack also colliding with Kadabra before it managed to Teleport away and back to Kanetsugu's side. Fortunately for Kenshin's protégé, some of his nearby warriors had seen the losing battle he was fighting and charged into the fray, forcing the female twin and the albino to turn around and fend them off, while Hanbei quickly ran over the situation in his head.

Reinforcements or not, it was plain to see the Kadabra was fatigued, the bony Pokémon breathing heavily and struggling to stay upright. Psychic Types were not famed for their durability, and it had already weathered a barrage from both Ginchiyo's Luxio and them. It was only a matter of time before he managed to land another hit and Kanetsugu would be forced to retreat. The Illusite standing across from him had also seemed to come to the same conclusion, pale lips slowly turning into a scowl.

"Psybeam, Kadabra! Put everything into it!"

The Pokémon let out a huff and raised its arm in the air, Hanbei quickly ordering an Agility at the sight. Kadabra conjured up a massive blast of telekinetic energy, cutting through the air and displacing the ground underneath it. Pikachu, though managing to jump out of the attack's path, was still sideswiped by it, while Hanbei stumbled back and fell down to avoid being hit. He followed the beam as it shot into the crowd, managing to hit a few unsuspecting warriors and their Pokémon, though he couldn't make out which army they belonged to. He then turned back to Kanetsugu, not before catching out of the corner of his eye Tadashi and Oichi taking advantage of the sudden confusion to run up to them, just in time to witness Kadabra and its partner use his inaction to teleport away.

"Use Bite!"

"Doubleslap, Jigglypuff!" the two Normal Types sped forwards, slamming into the Kirlia and Drillbur that had teamed up against Kazumi's Eevee. The tired Evolution Pokémon took advantage of the attacks to unleash a Shadow Ball on the Psychic Type, which had been knocked off balance by the Dark Type Attack, before both Evolution Pokémon joined Jigglypuff in its duel with Drillbur. Only a few moves were exchanged before both of the opposing warriors fell back, letting the trio of Aurorans dash into the castle while Hanbei and Kanbei fought off their remaining opponents. The three entered the building cautiously, bringing their trek to a quick halt after running through the castle's antechamber without any signs of their opponents.

Oichi's head titled to the right, brown orbs running down the hallway and various doorways that adorned it, while Tadashi took a cautious step forward, floorboards creaking underneath his feet. His eyes farted from side to side, following Oichi's gaze before looking down the hallway on the other end, finding it devoid of any signs of life as well. "No one's here..."

"They're probably holed up in the main hall," Kazumi's tone was cautious, her steps reflecting that as she turned down the path that would lead them to the spacious room. Tadashi exchanged a quick glance with Oichi before following his counterpart, the auburn-haired girl casting one last look over her shoulder for certainty and then followed in the duo's steps. It was only a few turns before the three found themselves standing outside the doors to the main hall of Chrysalia's castle, Tadashi letting out a pent-up breath as he stared up at the intricate patterns that danced them. He held out his hand, to the trio's surprise found that the door had not been barred or locked, and then pushed it open.

Kunoichi and Kanetsugu, both flanking a silent Yukimura, immediately stopped their conversation when then doors to the room swung open and the Aurora Trio marched in. Yukimura strode forward to met them, brushing aside the ends of his white coat while his friends followed, the warrior coming to a stop a few feet away from his opponents in the center of the room. Tadashi raised an eyebrow in return, arms crossed and Eevee hopping down from its perch on his shoulder, silently waiting for them to make the first move while he examined their partners. Kadabra was by far the worst off, heaving silently while Kanetsugu put a comforting hand on its head, Charmeleon was clearly injured but still stood proudly with a fiery glint in its eyes, and the only indication that Sneasal gave of any wound was that it seemed to be favoring its left leg. None of them seemed ready to give up.

"Lord Shingen warned us to not underestimate you, and with good reason," Tadashi's silvery eyes shift back to the Terreran across from him. "But I will not let all our allies sacrifices be in vain!"

Before anyone could order out an attack in response to Yukimura's declaration, the attention of the six warriors was quickly redirected to a small, purple ball that bounced into the room from one of its side-doors, coming to a stop between them. Kazumi blinked at the object, a hand going to her chin.

"Is that..." Kanetsugu paled as he came to the same conclusion as the Warlord in white and purple.

"Oh no..." Yukimura continued to stare blankly at the sphere, but a sudden shouting from the direction the ball originated provided another distraction.

"Wait! Come back!" Yoshimoto emerged from the doorway, hastily running after the object. The portly man ran between them, retrieved the Pokémari ball, and then realized the impeding battle around him. He blinked, standing back upright, quickly looked back and forth between the two sides, and smiled.

"Oh, my old friends! And my new friends, too! Would you-" Tadashi hastily cut the Chyrsalite off.

"We're kind of in the middle of a battle right now..." the man's beady eyes went wide.

"What!? But why must my friends fight?" everyone took a collective blink.

"Because they took our castle and we want it back?" Yoshimoto only let out a 'hm' in response to Tadashi's reasoning, clearly not comprehending it, while Kanetsugu face-palmed.

"You'd have a better chance of getting Yukimura to realize that Kunoichi has a-" his muttering was quickly cut off by said ninja appearing behind him and quickly cupping a hand over his mouth with a nervous smile. Yukimura remained oblivious to the scene going on behind him, Oichi didn't know what to make of it, and the Aurora Twins were too busy gazing at Yoshimoto in disbelief to notice. Fortunately for them, Sessai appeared in the doorway, sighed, and walked up behind the Warlord, while Kunoichi snuck back to the other side of Yukimura.

"Lord Yoshimoto..." the man spun around, smiled, and then began to say something, only for his uncle to stop him with another sigh and apologetic glance towards the warriors behind him. "Yes, I'll play a round with you."

The two Chrysalites left the room, Yoshimoto rambling about how much fun they would have while Sessai gave an obligatory nod every few sentences, the six warriors staring at the doorway they disappeared into silently until Yukimura cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Uh..." the Terreran's once determined expression had melted into one of disbelief. "Dragon Rage, Charmeleon?"

"Stop it with Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge and counter with Quick Attack!" with that, the room dissolved into a chaotic battlefield reminiscent of the one outside. The shadowy ball of energy as the first attack to fly, tearing through the purple flames that Charmeleon spewed out in Tadashi's direction, while his Eevee sped off and used its momentum to somersault itself over the Dragon Type attack, lunging straight for Charmeleon's head. Kadabara had used the few seconds that passed between the opening attacks to steel itself with Calm Mind, arms and legs folded, before quickly unfurling itself and unleashing a Psybeam on Kazumi's distracted Eevee. Jigglypuff hastily unleashed a barrage of multi-colored notes on Sneasel, the Dual Type mockingly sidestepping them or slashing out at the ones that got too close, grinning all the while, and Charmeleon reared back one of its arms in preparation for a Brick Break.

"Now! Dig!" Tadashi's Eevee leaned forward in its descent, burrowing straight into the floor and avoiding Charmeleon's counterattack. The floorboards underneath the Flame Pokémon gave out, Eevee slamming into the Fire Type's stomach and sending it into the air. Yukimura's frowned, hands clenching into fists.

"Dragon Rage!" while Charmeleon unleashed another ball of swirling flames on the Evolution Pokémon below, having used the momentum of the attack to angel itself directly above it, Yukimura risked a look at his allies. Kunoichi's Sneasel had shifted from dodging sleep-inducing notes to Jigglypuff's Rollout, lashing out with attacks as often as it could, only for the Balloon Pokémon to land a hit and send the Dual Type into the wall. Kadabra managed to teleport away from a Shadow Ball, only to end up on the receiving end of a well-timed Quick Attack. The Terreran's brown eyes shifted back to the battle in front of him. The Eevee had barely dodged the fiery sphere, but cried out in pain when Charmeleon crashed down on it, biting into its hide with a Fire Fang. Tadashi flinched at the sight.

"Eevee!"

"Rollout, quickly!" the male twin gave an appreciatory nod to Oichi when Jigglypuff suddenly veered around from Sneasel, who was now on its knees and gasping for breath, and crashed into the Flame Pokémon. Eevee wriggled free from Charmeleon's vice grip in the few seconds that Jiggulpuff had bough it, retaliating with a Bite of its own.

"Lord Yukimura!" the Kunoichi's unusually heavy tone easily warranted the youth's attention, and he cast a glance over his shoulder. The brunette motioned at Sneasel, who was struggling to stay standing, and then over to Kadabra, who was on the brink of unconsciousness after Kazumi's Eevee delivered another Quick Attack to its skeletal midsection. It was obvious they were fighting a losing battle, and though every fiber of his being screamed for him to not give any ground, his lord had made him responsible for the safety of his warriors. Duty before pride. Yukimura sighed bitterly, silently motioning for Charmeleon to fall back, and then turned to Kenshin's protégé.

"Kanetsugu," the tone of crimson-encased warrior spoke for itself, shock quickly writing itself across the Illusite's face before he relented with a resigned nod, accompanied with an equal weary sigh.

"Forgive me, Lord Kenshin. Teleport, Kadabra!" Kadabra wheezed, straining to raise its arms, but still managed to teleport the three warriors and their partners away in another burst of light that caught the Aurorans off-guard. Tadashi blinked quickly, trying to clear his blurry vision, before realizing what had happened.

Tadashi then bolted towards the door without so much as a word, stopping long enough to grab his sister's wrist when, still half-blinded from the unexpected light, she stumbled, and proceeded to nearly drag her along until her vision had cleared enough she could rely on her own footing. Oichi followed suit, and only a few brief moments passed before they were back in the castle's courtyard. The battle had reached its conclusion, the last of Terrera-Illusio's warriors retreating towards the battered gates of the castle, many carrying unconscious partners, while the Aurora Army formed a ring around them. Yukimura was at the front of his ragged army, Charmeleon still standing strong at his side even through its heavy breaths, but it was Kunoichi who captured everyone's attention; the brunette having stepped forward, open hand raised in the air, only to throw it downwards. The field was overcome by a smokescreen for a few seconds, many of the warriors closest to the blast shielding their faces and coughing, and when the alchemically-induced smoke disappeared shortly afterwards, they had vanished.

* * *

With the battle over, Aurora settled back into Chrysalia like they had never left it. With Illusio-Terrera having managed to retreat without any major losses, while having delivered a surprisingly heavy blow to them as well, the Warlords had retired to debate over their next moves. Hanbei, in the meantime, had been asked to run a few errands, and by the time he got back to the battle-scarred castle, it was nearly sunset. Having already dropped off the items with a yawn, the tactician headed straight to the room that he and Kanbei had occupied during their previous stay. Hanbei wasn't surprised to see Kanbei hunched over the desk on his side of the room, but he did raise an eyebrow at the two parcels lying on his bed.

He strode over silently, picking up one of them quizzically, turning it over in his hands, and then eyed the other one, before shifting his attention to the albino. "You got me two gifts this year?"

The narcoleptic's comment caused Kanbei to stop his writing for a moment, look up, and then quickly return to his work with an atypically blunt reply. "No."

Hanbei blinked, but conceded he had expected the reply. Hanbei knew Kanbei was incredibly prudent with what little he had, so the fact that he got him anything was not lost on the tactician in white, even if he still didn't feel completely comfortable with accepting it. His eyes then shifted back to the other package on the bed, tied carefully together with a purple ribbon, looking over it quizzically before he came to his conclusion.

"Lady Kazumi..." Kanbei looked up again. "But how did she-"

"I told her," Hanbei turned back to his counterpart, lips tilting downwards slightly.

"Kanbei-" the albino shook his head.

"I suspect she would have discovered eventually," the purple-eyed warrior only sighed at Kanbei's tone, his voice dropping to a near-inaudible level.

"Yeah... Eventually..." the other tactician either didn't hear his comment or just ignored it.

"I fail to understand why you are so insistent on keeping your birthday a secret," Hanbei picked up the other gift and set them down on his nightstand, before sitting back down on the bed. He glanced down at the floor, hands folded, and replied right before Kanbei returned to the mass of paper arrayed before him.

"I... just don't like to think about time, Kanbei," Hanbei then made a sound that sounded similar to him clearing his throat, before discarding his white coat and floppy hat haphazardly on the floor, next to his sleeping partner, before laying down himself with a large yawn. "Good night, Kanbei..."

He heard a muffled acknowledgement from Kanbei before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The moon was now firmly fixed overhead, providing only a spare amount of light on the outskirts of the well-lit city, which stood like a shining beacon amidst the darkness of its surroundings. Hideyoshi smiled at the sight from his place atop one of the hills on its outskirts. "Awfully pretty, isn't it?"

There was a cry in agreement from the Pokémon at his side, and the Ignite then crossed his arms and leaned back. "Terrera and Illusio aren't pushovers... They've really come far."

A smile spread across the ex-Warlord's face. "I think it's time for us to make our comeback. Whaddya say, Monferno?"

The Dual Type by his side cried out in agreement, and the Ignite chuckled.

"Righto," Hideyoshi then turned away from the city before him, cupping his mouth with his hands. "Koroku! Hurry up with getting those logs up the river! It needs to be done by daybreak!"

There was a shouted acknowledgement from below, and Hideyoshi spun back around, clapping his hands together. "Heh. They're not gonna beat us this time..."


	30. Chapter 30

Kazumi woke up with a loud yawn as the warm rays of the sun fell on her, sneaking through the closed curtains and illuminating the room in its golden glow. The co-Warlord sat up in bed, stretching her arms out with another yawn as the flimsy sheets fell down, and groggily made her way to the balcony of the room. The brunette shielded her eyes from glare of the sun as she pushed aside the fabric dividing the room from the small platform, and then took a deep breath as she stepped out into the brisk morning air. A picturesque scene was laid out before her; the light blue of early morning slowly chasing away the yellows and oranges of sunrise, Flying Types chirping happily as they twittered about the sky, and the sizeable wooden castle that had appeared overnight sat grandly atop one of the hills on the outskirts of the city. She blinked at the last one.

Leaning against the railing, Kazumi peered at the object in the distance, and when she was certain it did in fact exist, quickly returned to her room. Hastily throwing on her armor and tying her hair into its usual ponytail, and then calling out for her resting partner while fixing her cape, she quickly hurried out of the castle and into its courtyard. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't the only one who had noticed the tower sticking out against the grassy hills and reaching up to the sky, and the still-damaged courtyard was already occupied by most of the castle's inhabitants and their partners. The Warlord wormed her way through the crowd, finally getting to the front where her twin was located, easily distinguishable by the tips of his maedate poking out above the throng of people.

"Hey," Tadashi nodded absentmindedly at the greeting, still focused on the fort in the distance from his place leaning against the broken gates.

"Morning," the Auroran's reply was prefaced with a yawn. "What do you think?"

Kazumi blinked for a second, slowly processing the question. "Maybe Terrera or Illusio built it overnight?"

"If that was the case," the twins turned around, Tadashi standing up straight, to see Kanbei approaching them, dragging a barely-awake and half-dressed Hanbei behind him. "Then why not attack in the middle of the night?"

"Well," the hesitant reply came from the left, where Oichi had been silently eating an apple. "They didn't exactly escape the battle unharmed, either. Maybe they just wanted a base for a future attack?"

The albino shook his head, but it was Hanbei, sitting against the ground with his head dangling limply, that replied groggily. "The... advantages of a surprise attack... outweigh the muffins..."

A few indistinguishable utterances escaped the Ignite before more soft snoring replaced it, the nearby Warlords looking on with various reactions ranging from deadpan to indifferent. Tadashi only sighed and turned back to his sister. "Hanbei's eloquent point aside, I think Motochika would have let us know if they saw any movement from Terrera."

"They could have come from Illusio," the male twin pursed his lips at the brunette's counter, and then turned back to look at the castle standing off in the distance.

"Well, wherever they're from, we're not going to accomplish much by standing around and debating," Oichi let a barely noticeable frown cross her delicate features.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go? It might be a trap," Kanbei made a noise that sounded vaguely approving, while Tadashi hummed in consideration.

"True, they might just want to draw us away from Chrysalia..." the co-Warlord of Aurora looked back to the crowd of warriors still gathered in the courtyard, scanning over them until his eyes landed on Muneshige. The Violighter had one arm bent to accommodate his partner, while he held a handful of breadcrumbs in his other, the Flying Type eagerly pecking away at the food.

"Muneshige!" the Junior Warlord looked up.

"Yes, Lord Tadashi?"

"Can you go scout out our visitors? We need to know who we're dealing with before we act."

"Certainly," Muneshige replied with a nod and then treaded towards the gate. They watched him intently as he left, an uncomfortable silence settling over the Warlords while they waited for the Violighter to return. Tadashi began pacing back and forth, Kazumi and Oichi began talking quietly, Hanbei sunk deeper into his sleep, and Kanbei simply continued watching the entrance in a trance-like state. It was only after some indeterminate amount of time passed that Tadashi deemed as being too long when the Warlord stopped his pacing. He opened his mouth, about to ask if they should send someone after Muneshige, when said warrior decided to waltz through the gate and immediately garnered the attention of everyone present.

"From what Staravia and I could tell, there was nothing to indicate that they're from Illusio or Terrera. There didn't seem to be that many of them, either; certainly not enough to outnumber us," Tadashi put a hand to his chin at the Violighter's report, glancing down at the ground before turning to Kazumi.

"Bandits, maybe?" the girl only raised an eyebrow.

"What bandits do you know that would build a castle on the outskirts of town for all to see, instead of just looting it?"

Tadashi only pursed his lips, nodding quietly in agreement before looking back at Muneshige. "You said there weren't many of them?"

"Yes. I imagine less than the army we fought yesterday," the male twin turned back to his counterpart after the dandy's reply.

"Should we go ahead and investigate?" Kazumi lips tightened, hands tensing slightly.

"Well, it _is_ our duty. And if there aren't many of them..." Tadashi nodded, and Muneshige quietly slipped away.

"Right," the Warlord then turned, his eyes falling on Motonari and Dosetsu who were talking quietly off to the side. "Motonari! Dosetsu!"

Dosetsu let out a grunt while Motonari gently placed his teacup down on its platter, both turning to face the Warlord at the gates. "We're going to go check out our visitors. Stay here with the army in case it's a trap."

The two older men gave their acknowledgements and resumed their conversation, and Tadashi turned back around. Kazumi took a quick glance at the still-sleeping tactician, who was now using Kanbei's shoulder as a pillow, much to the albino's chagrin. "Is Hanbei alright? He's usually awake by now."

Kanbei glanced at the raven-haired boy in a mixture of disbelief and disgust, pressing a finger against his temple to try to get him to stand upright and not drool on his shoulder. "If not, I'm certain Lord Motonari would be willing to pour him a cup of tea."

Hanbei's eyes quickly shot open. "I'm awake!"

The Ignite wiped at the corners of his mouth, purple orbs slowly closing again, and Tadashi cleared his throat loudly. "Well, let's-"

He cut himself off with a blink. "Wasn't Muneshige just here?"

"I'm coming too," the group of five's attention was redirected back at the crowd with Ginchiyo's declaration. Tadashi dropped his question as the Warlord strode up to them proudly, Luxio in tow. "If it does turn out to be a trap, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Me as well," to the surprise of everyone, Mitsunari and Pawniard walked up to them next, the boy silently crossing his arms and maintaining his usual dour disposition rather than saying anything else.

"If that's everybody," Tadashi blinked, looking over the warriors before him, and finally turned around when no one else said anything. "We should get going."

The courtyard began to disperse after the Warlord's group left, leaving Dosetsu and Motonari alone. The Greenleafer took another sip from his cup, placing it back down on the porcelain with a soft clink as he continued. "But yes, we would more than happy to spar against you. Me and Serperior are still trying to come up with new tactics to accommodate its new moves, so a friendly match should help us along greatly."

Dosetsu nodded. "Excellent. In an hour, at the east courtyard?"

"That should work," the strategist replied with a small bow. "If you'll excuse me, though, there are other matters I believe I have to attend to."

The two then parted ways, Motonari casting a glance back at the gates and fort in the distance before heading back into the castle.

* * *

The walk through the city was as uneventful as usual, but every step they took forward only made the atmosphere feel heavier for the small group. After a few minute's trek, the warriors had left the city behind, crossing through the thick blades of grass and rolling hills until they finally came upon the large mound the wooden fort was built on. Tadashi took a cursory look at the hastily-built walls, noting that they looked more like crudely cut logs bound together with rope and spare planks than any workable defense, before shifting his attention to the sturdier looking tower behind them, stretching up into the sky. There were no banners or flags of any kind to give the Aurorans any indication as to who was inside, and none of them were too keen on strolling into the small encampment to find out, but the sounds of shouting and people running about from inside gave them the idea that they had been spotted.

It was then that a familiar face peered over from the railing at the top of the tower, and everyone gaped.

"Heya, rival!" Hideyoshi shouted down with a friendly wave. Tadashi's silvery eyes went wide, mouth hanging openly dumbly as his mind jumped through hoops to come up with an appropriate response.

"H-Hideyoshi!?" the Ignite looked down at his cream-colored tunic.

"Last time I checked," the Auroran was still too stunned to process Hideyoshi's reply.

"You built this!?" the exile's toothy smile got wider, the lithe teen standing upright and raising his arms into the air grandly.

"Yep!" Hideyoshi then sauntered back, taking a few cautionary steps away from the railing, but was still close enough where everyone below could easily follow his movements, and then spun around.

"Beeeehold the castle, that was built in one day!" the youth cried out in a singsong voice, arms swinging as he began traipsing about the platform, kicking out his feet and spinning around on one foot as he continued his song. "What genius could have done this, you say?"

Everyone kept their eyes glued onto the scene in horror, Kazumi being the first one to comment through a very shaky voice. "Is he... dancing?"

"I think he's having a seizure," Hanbei muttered in turn, before letting a snort and a series of barely-restrained chuckles overcome him at the sight.

"Whatever it is, it looks like a full body dry heave," the auburn-haired kid standing on the other side of Kazumi stated, head slowly sinking lower to hide his small grin. Hideyoshi remained oblivious to the commentary below, pushing out his hands as he shifted from side to side.

"It's the Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi we praise!" the Ignite stopped, twirled around, and then managed to pull off a backflip, landing squarely on his feet and throwing an arm out in front of him. "Who built the castle in just one day!"

With his final verse shouted out, Hideyoshi lifted his arms up again, shaking his hands as he reached for the sky, while someone shot off some fireworks from inside the fort to give a backdrop to the ex-Warlord's grand finale. By now, Kanbei had averted his gaze, Mitsunari's shoulders were trembling as he painfully held in his guffaws, which occasionally managed to escape in the form of snickers, Oichi was laughing quietly, Kazumi much more loudly, and Hanbei was doubled over, clutching his stomach as his own laughs wracked him and his voice became increasingly hoarse.

"I think I'm going to cough up a lung..." Hanbei's laughter did make way for a fit of hacking shortly after, which subsided quickly as he stood upright and began to force more air into his lungs. Everyone was too busy laughing to pay notice, save Tadashi, who was still unwaveringly fixated on the Warlord high above them, the Ignite still maintaining his pose as the fireworks began to fade away. Ginchiyo, only having stared on in horror with the Auroran, managed to pry her gaze away from Hideyoshi and turned to face the Warlord.

" _This_ is your rival!?" Tadashi blinked rapidly at her exasperated question, which came off as more of a demand, and then shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose with an equally exasperated sigh.

"Former rival, friend I guess, one-time nuisance..." Tadashi shrugged plainly. "Frankly, I don't really know how to describe Hideyoshi anymore."

"Rest assured, you were a much better rival than him," the Warlord muttered shortly after his concession, silently twirling his finger around the ends of his scarf. Before Ginchiyo could respond, having raised an eyebrow at Tadashi's comment, Hideyoshi peered over the railing again.

"Now, rival: I challenge you to a battle!" the Ignite's comment, spoken in a more determined tone than usual, caused the seven Warlords standing below to look up. Tadashi cupped his mouth with his hands, squinting as the part of the sun that wasn't blocked by Hideyoshi's castle got in his eyes.

"And if I refuse?" Hideyoshi blinked, face dropping, and then reached underneath his bronze helmet to scratch the back of his head.

"Uh... I won't go away until you accept?" Tadashi looked over at Kazumi, who only looked back and shrugged indifferently, and then turned back up to the Warlord high above them.

"Fine! But I'm not putting Chrysalia on the line!" Hideyoshi smiled and spun around.

"I don't care as long as I get to fight you. Sakon! Get ready!" the Ignite strutted away from the edge, while the Aurorans took that as their cue to rush into the fort. Since Hideyoshi hadn't built a gate, or even bothered to put up another wall of logs in front of the entrance to at least force attackers to go around, it was a straight shot into the encampment. They were immediately beset by most of Hideyoshi's warriors, shouts and Fire Type attacks flying at them from all directions in a disorienting cacophony. Hanbei and Kanbei were the first to react to the sudden barrage, Kanbei ordering a Fire Spin in the center of the field they had found themselves in, while Hanbei had Pikachu unleash a series of Agility-charged Electro Balls into the fiery tornado. The result was a barrage of perfectly timed attacks flying in all directions, yellow orbs crashing through flames and causing the former warriors of Ignis to break off their salvo and scatter.

Kanbei then turned, disinterestedly ordering a Smog while Hanbei ordered a Thunder Wave in the opposite direction, the two attacks slowly engulfing the warriors on both sides and leaving the ramp that led into the massive tower unguarded. The albino spared a glance at the Warlords. "Carry on, we shall extinguish this opposition."

The Aurora siblings nodded, bolting towards the wooden plank along with the three other warlords and their partners, leaving the two tacticians to fend against the majority of Hideyoshi's army. Hanbei watched them begin their ascent, looked over his opponents disinterestedly, and then let out a yawn.

"Do you want to take the ones on the left?" the albino, back turned to him, only grunted in acknowledgement before giving another order to his ghostly partner, and Hanbei absentmindedly yawned out one of his own before looking back at the tower.

"Knowing Hideyoshi, he's probably holding back his best warriors. Oh well, they'll be fine."

While the tactician returned to his battle, the remaining Aurorans continued their charge up the ramp, which sharply turned into a near-vacant room. The 'room' they found themselves in was really just a clearing with another floor above it, due to the complete lack of walls and only a handful of wooden beams strategically placed around the edges. There was a single man sitting disinterestedly in front of the ladder that clearly lead to the floor above them, his hair tied into a messy ponytail that, complete with his equally unkempt mullet and sideburns, gave him a striking similarity to the Pokémon standing above him. The warrior looked up from the scroll he had been balancing on his leg, raising an eyebrow and lowering his fist from his cheek when he saw that the attention of the Aurorans had shifted to his partner.

"What's that Pokémon? I've never seen anything like it..." Kazumi wondered aloud after a bewildered blink.

"My name's Sakon, thanks for asking," the warrior replied as he stood from his seat, before looking over at his partner, who gave a small nod in acknowledgement and stepped forward. "And this here's Shiftry."

"Shiftry?" the quiet comment came from Oichi, standing behind the co-Warlords. "I don't remember hearing about any Pokémon called that in Ransei..."

"We happened to cross paths during my travels, but I don't think you're here to listen to my life story, are you?"

Ginchiyo was the first to respond to Sakon's rhetorical question, taking a loud step forward and pointing straight at the man's partner. "No. Spark, Luxio!"

Tadashi rolled his eyes. "Sure, charge straight at the opponent you know nothing about..."

Kazumi heard his muttered comment and shot him a glance. The brunette only shrugged in response, but kept his voice low enough that only she would be able to hear. "Muneshige's not here, so someone has to..."

The female twin only sighed. "I don't think you have much room to be criticizing her, Tadashi."

"Fury Cutter, Pawniard."

Kazumi glanced over at Mitsunari, watching his Pawniard charge forwards with Luxio, before looking down at the Evolution Pokémon sitting at her feet, wagging its tail as it eagerly watched the battle. "Use Helping Hand on Eevee."

The Pokémon nodded at her quiet command, moving over to the other Evolution Pokémon and placing one of its forepaws on its side. Oichi stepped forward softly with her partner, on the other side of Tadashi, before pointing at the Wicked Pokémon hesitantly.

"Sing, Jigglypuff," while the Balloon Pokémon floated out of Oichi's slender arms, the single warrior blocking their path looked back and forth between the two charging Pokémon. His only reaction was a small grin.

"Block them with Swords Dance, Shiftry," the Dual Type's palm-like arms swung out, the large fan-shaped leaves on them growing and sharpening until the Pokémon lashed out at the attackers. Shiftry swatted away Pawniard as it lunged forward, knife-like claws aimed for the Grass Type's non-existent neck, before spinning around, arms shooting out, and slamming Luxio into the ground before it could latch onto its bulbous shoulder. The Spark Pokémon let out a growl, attempted to charge at Shiftry again, only for the Dual Type to spin around and knock it across the battlefield. Shiftry and Sakon's attention then shifted over to the collage of music notes that were floating loftily towards them.

"Use Fury Cutter," the Wicked Pokémon nodded, its branch-like arms gaining a yellowish glow before it swung them out, cutting through the multi-colored notes one after another in a frenzy of grunting and slashing. It was after Shiftry cut down the last of the sleep-inducing attacks that Kazumi saw her chance.

"Now, Eevee!" the Evolution Pokémon unleashed the shadowy orb that it had formed in its maw. Shiftry stepped forward, leaf-covered arm raised above its head to cut through the attack as well, only for the floorboards at its feet to break apart as Tadashi's Eevee charged through them. The Normal Type crashed into the Wicked Pokémon in a hail of broken wood, knocking it off balance long enough for the Shadow Ball to slam into the Dual Type's obscured face. Eevee bounced off Shiftry's chest, dodging the retaliatory swipe the Pokémon sent at it, before scurrying back to Tadashi's side. Encouraged by the loss of Shiftry's momentum, Ginchiyo and Mitsunari ordered their partners to charge again. The two Pokémon used the few seconds that the Eevees had bought them, Pawniard sharpening its blade-like hands with Hone Claws before slashing out at Shiftry's legs with another Fury Cutter, while Luxio leaped up behind it with another spark.

"Sucker Punch!" Shiftry spun around, swinging out it leaves and slugging Luxio in the face, before turning back to Pawniard and blocking its assault with a Fury Cutter of its own.

"Now, Quick Attack!"

"Jump on Eevee's back, Jigglypuff!" both twins blinked and turned to look at the pink-clad girl, who only glanced down and tugged at the golden chain hanging from her coat silently. Jigglypuff and the two Evolution Pokémon paid no heed to their partners, the Balloon quickly jumping onto Eevee's hide before both charged forward with Quick Attack. Shiftry slammed its spare branch into Pawniard's unprotected side in time to look back and see the two Normal Types running headfirst at it. Sakon chuckled at the sight of Jigglupuff bouncing up and down uncomfortably while Tadashi's Eevee leaped about the room, but quickly hardened his features.

"Swords Dance, again."

"Jump and Sing, Jigglypuff!" the Balloon Pokémon jumped up from its place on the Evolution Pokémon's back, the two Normal Type's attack being effortlessly rebuffed in the face of Shiftry's dance, only for the Wicked Pokémon to be caught off guard by the barrage of sleep-inducing notes from above. They swirled around the Pokémon in a harmonious melody, Shiftry's eyes slowly drooping until it fell backwards with a small snore.

"Crud," Sakon muttered while Jigglpuff floated back to the floor, flapping its stubby arms like they were wings. Mitsunari was the first to react.

"Hone Claws and Fury Cutter. Don't hold back," Pawniard lunged forward again, this time successfully tackling the asleep Dual Type, and frantically began unleashing the Bug Type Move on it. The four other Warlords and Sakon watched on hopelessly as Pawniard hacked away at the Pokémon underneath it, arms swinging back and forth like a pendulum with each attack, before finally climbing off the Dual Type when it was satisfied with its onslaught and ran back to Mitsunari's side. Sakon sighed, moved over to his now semi-conscious partner, and slung one of its massive branch-like arms over his shoulder.

"Well, we've done our part..." the tactician then turned towards the ladder. "Hey, Yoshitsugu! You're up next!"

The man then stepped to the side, dragging Shiftry with him, and tilted his head at the ladder. Tadashi sighed, and the Aurorans and their partners silently filed past the scruffy man and began their ascent up the ladder. Upon getting to the top, Tadashi took a quick, curious glance around the room, and was met with the sight of a layout similar to the one below, and about six or seven warriors waiting for them. The one at the front looked to be no older than Mitsunari, certainly no taller, and given that the child was nearly covered from head to toe in white and blue, leaving only the eyes, a bit of chalky skin, and a few strands of pitch-black hair visible, it was difficult to tell whether or not the warrior was a boy or girl. The Auroran took an instinctive step forward when he felt someone's hand hit his covered ankle, and the kid in front of him followed with one of his own, the warriors behind him beginning to fan out. Most of them moved towards the direction of the unguarded ladder, a few feet away, a detail which the co-Warlord found curious in the back of his head.

"So you defeated Sakon..." the child's voice sounded like a whisper, fragile almost, and the warrior placed one gauntleted hand in another, while a Kirlia moved out from behind the thin frame of the kid. Tadashi took another step forwards, by now everyone had finished climbing up the ladder, and he noticed Yoshitsugu's eyes running over them in scrutiny.

"So be it. Calm Mind and Double Team," the Emotion Pokémon gave a bow to its partner before quickly carrying out the command, crossing its arms and creating multiple duplicates of itself. Tadashi exchanged a glance with Kazumi and then Ginchiyo, the male twin silently motioning for the Violighter to engage the young tactician and his guards, while they would fight the larger group warriors guarding their path to Hideyoshi. Mitsunari trailed after Ginchiyo, the Sharp Blade Pokémon charging into the thick of battle with Luxio, while the three Aurorans rushed in the opposite direction and began ordering out attacks. Yoshitsugu and the small army of Kirlia that the tactician's partner generated moved forward as the few warriors that were locked in battle with Mitsunari and Ginchiyo began to fall back.

"Stand aside," both Mitsunari and Ginchiyo blinked when they realized they had said their command in unison, the Violighter much more enthusiastically, while their opponent's reply was a roll of the eyes.

"I don't take orders from little girls," the reply was as wispy as the command that followed. "Secret Power."

While Ginchiyo and Mitsunari ordered their partners to dodge the onslaught, Yoshitsugu spared a glance in the direction of the other Aurorans. The trio had already managed to knock out one of the Pokémon belonging to the group of warriors guarding the ladder, and were clearly making quick work of the others. Yoshitsugu sighed.

"That's enough, fall back," Tadashi wondered in the back of his mind how anyone managed to hear the kid's quiet voice over the clamor of the battle, but his eyes widened at Yoshitsugu's next command. "Now, Light Screen!"

One of the Kirlia by the child's side turned, bringing up the barrier of greenish telekinetic energy as the last of the Ignites broke off from the battle, Tadashi slamming into it face-first as he tried to follow. The Warlord let out a pained grunt as he stumbled back, Kazumi reaching out to keep him from falling down, and both looked through the transparent wall that had effectively cut them off from the rest of the room. Ginchiyo spared a glance in their direction after assessing the situation, lips contorting into a scowl.

"Go on! We'll finish up here!" Tadashi gritted his teeth, standing back upright, and then gave a determined nod. Yoshitsugu watched the trio turn around and begin their climb up the second ladder, grey eyes closing as the battle continued to rage on.

"Divide and conquer..." the tactician then turned back to the battle, giving another order before sparing a final glance back at the Auroran's disappearing forms. "The rest lies with you, Lord Hideyoshi..."

When Tadashi finished pushing himself up into the third floor, he was unsurprised to find himself met by the same layout as the previous two. Kazumi and Oichi quickly followed him, and the three's attention shifted to Koroku, waiting in front of another ladder with a Bibarel and two warriors in tow. The two other Ignis warriors moved to the side, their Pokémon, a Tepig and Pansear, stepping forward to face the trio of Warlords before them.

"Deja vu..." Kazumi muttered at sight, causing Oichi to nod silently in agreement and Tadashi to put a hand to his chin.

"Yeah," the male twin's gaze hardened, and he took a step forward. "Still, if Koroku's here, then that means Hideyoshi's next."

"We're lucky to have come as far as we have without our Pokémon having taken much damage..." Oichi commented as she and Kazumi fell in step with the Warlord in white.

"Let's try to keep it that way," Kazumi's reply was unusually quiet as they approached the burly man and his cohorts, the former only crossing his thick arms while the Beaver Pokémon behind him stepped up.

"Do you actually think you can beat us, Koroku?" the question came from Tadashi, though it echoed the sentiments of his sister, and the thick warrior in front of them shook his head.

"No, but I'll try to soften you up as much as possible for Lord Hideyoshi. Hyper Fang on Eevee!"

"Shadow Ball!"

"Jump and use Quick Attack!" Kazumi's Eevee shot the Ghost Type attack in the direction of the other Eevee and Bibarel before darting off to fight Pansear. Tadashi's Eevee lunged forward in a streak of blinding light, the Evolution Pokémon jumping up on the Shadow Ball and using it as a stepping stone to throw itself over Bibarel with a somersault. The Beaver Pokémon stumbled forward, biting down on the Shadow Ball, which promptly imploded, while Eevee spun around and launched another Quick Attack straight into the Pokémon's back. Koroku growled.

"Yawn, Bibarel!"

"Dodge with another Quick Attack!" the Beaver Pokémon turned around, eyes looking down beneath it for any sign of Eevee, while said Normal Type quickly maneuvered around it, slamming into one of Bibarel's stubby legs as it ran back to Tadashi's side. Bibarel then opened its maw and yawned out a sleep-inducing cloud as the Evolution Pokémon came to a stop.

"Avoid it, Eevee," while the Normal Type cried out its name in an affirmative, Tadashi's silvery eyes glanced over at the other battles raging around him. Kazumi's Eevee was busy shooting out one Shadow Ball after another at the Pansear, keeping the Fire Type occupied with having to rapidly unleash Flare Bursts to stave off the shadowy barrage, until Eevee closed in with a Quick Attack. Jigglypuff was busy holding Tepig with one of its stubby arms and slapping it across the snout with another.

"Use a Water Gun!" Bibarel wasted no time in unleashing the torrent after Eevee easily dodged the attack that had been lazily floating in its direction, the water managing to both douse the Evolution Pokémon and its partner. Tadashi grunted as the water splashed him in the face, wiping the liquid out of his eyes and quickly looking around for his partner. The Pokémon was only a few feet away, trying to stand back up only to slip, which bought Bibarel enough time to rush over and prepare another Hyper Fang.

"Quick Attack! Hurry!" both Tadashi and Koroku looked over to Kazumi at her command, and the latter let out a growl in frustration.

"Catch that Eevee with it, Bibarel!" the Beaver Pokémon turned from Tadashi's Eevee to Kazumi's, bringing down its glowing fangs on the Pokémon's hide just as it lunged up to strike.

"Get it to let go with Bite!" Tadashi's Eevee surged forward unsteadily, clamping its maw down on the Pokémon's stubby ankle. Bibarel whimpered in pain, but refused to release its vicegrip on Kazumi's partner, only clenching its jaws tighter while shaking the leg that Eevee had bit down on. Jigglypuff joined in with a Rollout straight into the Beaver Pokémon's exposed back. Bibarel stumbled forward, dropping Kazumi's Eevee, and managed to fire off another Water Gun at the Normal Type still attached to its leg before falling down. Tadashi called out another Quick Attack before Bibarel had a chance to get up, Kazumi echoing her sibling's order, and the Dual Type was finally knocked out as the two Evolution Pokémon collided with it. Koroku picked up his partner with a grunt, slinging one of its large paws over his shoulder while he stepped to the side.

"Well, we tried," the man muttered to his partner, before looking over at the Aurorans. "Lord Hideyoshi's waiting for you."

Tadashi untied his red scarf and wrung it dry, dabbing at the corners of his hair as he moved forward, while Kazumi gave a nod in gratitude to Hideyoshi's retainer. The three scaled the final ladder quickly, immediately being assaulted by the sunlight as they stepped onto the rooftop of the castle. Tadashi craned his head to the left, seeing Hideyoshi pacing back and forth, swinging his legs out with each exaggerated motion, before stopping with a blink and spinning around to greet the three.

"Finally! I was wonderin' when you'd get up here, rival," Hideyoshi's eyes trailed over to the brunette standing beside Tadashi, and he offered up a cheery smile. "And, Lady Kazumi, good to see you too. You look as beautiful as ever."

The girl in question blinked at how nonchalantly the Ignite had said that, almost as an afterthought, and then raised a thin eyebrow, eyes boring into him. "Still flirting with me, Monferno?"

"It's really just out of obligation at this point..." Hideyoshi conceded with a sheepish smile and a scratch of the head, and then he looked at the other side of Tadashi with a goofy, guileless grin. "You, on the other hand, Lady Oichi..."

Oichi's gaze lowered, hands clasping together and cheeks gaining a rosy tint at the attention, Kazumi beat down a chuckle and settled for a roll of the eyes, while Tadashi groaned and slapped his forehead. "Why are you here, Hideyoshi?"

Hideyoshi blinked, his visage morphing into a more quizzical one, and he hunched forward and placed a hand to his chin. "Well, why are any of us here, really? I mean, what's the point of all this? What if this is all just some cruel game?"

The Ignite's eyes then went wide in shock, hands flying underneath his helmet as the Warlord adopted an overly-dramatic stance. "What if this really _is_ just a game, and we're all characters based off people in the real world?"

His eyes widened to the point they looked like they would pop out of his face at any moment, and began darting from side to side nervously. "Gah! What if the real me was a cruel tyrant!? Oh, I couldn't bear the thought of that..."

Tadashi just looked on in disbelief, mouth slightly open and one eyebrow raised in incredulity.

"Hideyoshi; if you're going to try to make us laugh, then you might as well just dance a bit more," the Auroran didn't hear the suppressed giggling or snort coming from his twin, hidden by a delicate hand covering her mouth, while Hideyoshi's expression quickly evaporated and he crossed his arms indignantly.

"Hey! It took me a few seconds to come up with that one!" the male twin only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"But why are you really here, Hideyoshi?" as soon as Tadashi had asked that, the Ignite's expression changed drastically. Gone was his lackadaisical attitude, replaced with a serious visage that served as a stark enough contrast to completely destroy the laidback atmosphere that had descended over them. Tadashi's silvery eyes glanced down to the Ignite's side for a moment when he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes, wondering in the back of his head when Hideyoshi's partner had evolved, but then shifted back to the cream-wearing warrior when he pointed an arm out at him.

"Because if I want to make my dreams a reality, I have to prove I'm stronger than you, rival. So get ready!"

Monferno waddled in front of its partner, fists raised in the air, while the Auroran's partners assumed a similar stance. Hideyoshi's hand shifted over to Oichi. "Mach Punch on Jigglypuff! Now!"

The Dual Type lunged forward at a blinding speed, arm pulled back, and swiftly clocked the Balloon Pokémon before any of the three Warlords had a chance to give an order. Jigglypuff rolled back, moaning out its name as it came to a stop, Oichi letting out a squeak at the sight.

"Quick Attack!" Monferno spun around, the spare arm it had pulled back in preparation being enveloped in a blaze of orange flames, and unleashed a Fire Punch on Tadashi's Eevee just as it was preparing to tackle it. Eevee cried out in pain, flying across the field and coming to a stop some distance away, leaving a clear line of fire for Kazumi's Eevee.

"Fire!" the Evolution Pokémon unleashed the Shadow Ball it had charged up in preparation, the attack slamming into the Playful Pokémon's midsection, and quickly followed up with a barrage of the black orbs. Hideyoshi gritted his teeth.

"Break 'em apart with Fire Punch!" Monferno recovered quicker than the trio had expected, arms gaining the same fiery glow as it smashed through the spheres one after another. Oichi looked down at her partner, the pink Pokémon having recovered from the unexpected attack, and then looked back at the Dual Type.

"Use Rollout, Jigglypuff! Quickly," Hideyoshi's eyes darted from his partner and back to the Balloon Pokémon.

"Jump!" the Playful Pokémon smashed through another Ghost Type attack before using its lanky tail as a springboard to shoot itself into the air, letting Jigglypuff barrel right past where it had been standing. Kazumi's eyes narrowed when she saw the Pokémon was straight on a collision course with her partner, the Pink Pokémon having picked up too much momentum to come to a stop on its own.

"Stop it with Shadow Ball!" the brunette's command drew the attention of both Oichi and Tadashi, both blinking in recognition after a second, while her partner hesitated before unleashing the attack on Jigglypuff. The orb slammed into Jigglypuff, bringing the Pokémon to a stop before it could crash into Eevee. Jigglypuff shook off the attack due to its immunity, only for Hideyoshi to grin and point at it again.

"Now! Come down on it with Mach Punch!" Monferno, still in the air above Jigglypuff, twirled itself around and fell down on the Balloon Pokémon.

"Strike back with Quick Attack, Eevee!" after the Dual Type had finished burying one of its fists into Jigglypuff from above, it spun around with another hand reared back to face Tadashi's Eevee, leaving a malleable and unconscious Normal Type in its wake. Right as Eevee lunged forward, brown paws outstretched and aimed for Monferno's neck, the Playful Pokemon unleashed a Thunder Punch and crashed its crackling hand into the Evolution Pokémon's face. Tadashi's Eevee was sent back with another pained cry, only for its counterpart to take advantage of the momentary distraction and crash into the Dual Type with a Quick Attack of its own. Monferno stumbled back, throwing out a Fire Punch wildly, which Eevee easily dodged, before rushing back to Hideyoshi's side to avoid another Quick Attack from Tadashi's partner. As the three Pokémon still conscious retreated to their partner's sides, Tadashi's eyes darted around the field to get a better grasp of the situation. He caught Oichi scooping up her unconscious partner into her arms, bottom lip trembling as she whispered an apology, before the Warlord of Aurora looked down at his own Pokémon.

The Normal Type was breathing heavily, burn marks having been seared into its brown fur, and hind legs quivering as it struggled to stay upright. Kazumi's partner was faring far better, attempting to stare down the Playful Pokémon across the field while his own Eevee struggled to just continue fighting. Monferno was clutching one of its lanky arms, lips having curled into a pained scowl, but it was clear that the only damage it had taken was superficial. Both Hideyoshi and the Playful Pokémon in front of him were busy looking at the co-Warlords intently, waiting for them to make the next move, the former smiling as he came to the same conclusion as the increasingly nervous Tadashi.

_"We're losing... To Hideyoshi..."_ the twin shook his head. _"Not now; I need to come up with something, and quick. Dig and Sand Attack are out of the question, and Bite's not nearly as effective..."_

He then spared a glance at his sister, silvery eyes shaky and silently pleading for her help, and she replied with a nod far more confident than the twin suspected she was. Before she could give out an order, Hideyoshi, who was now begin to rock on the balls of his feet since staying still proved to be too taxing, took a step forward and pointed at the male twin's partner.

"Mach Punch on Tadashi's Eevee!" an idea formed in both Warlord's heads at Hideyoshi's command, the two exchanging glances while Monferno surged forward.

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" the order was shouted in unison, and their partners reacted in a similar manner. The two Evolution took off at a blinding speed, crisscrossing and jumping over each other frantically as they outmaneuvered Monferno and left the Dual Type trying to decide which Pokémon was its intended target. They took advantage of Monferno's momentary inaction to loop around abruptly and crash into the Playful Pokémon consecutively, retreating in another blur of white and brown before the Pokémon had a chance to react.

"Focus, Monferno! You can do it!" Monferno got back on its feet at Hideyoshi's encouragement, Tadashi blinking confusedly at the golden sheen that seemed to overtake it for a moment, while the Dual Type shook its head and then rushing forward at the Evolution Pokémon it had determined was the male twin's.

"Block it!" Tadashi's head jerked to his left at Kazumi's command, while her Eevee quickly rushed in the path of Monferno, shoving the taller Evolution Pokémon to the side as the Playful Pokémon brought down the Super Effective attack. Monferno slammed into Eevee, but both the Dual Type and its partner noticed to late the black orb that Kazumi's Eevee had begun to form in the seconds before the attack connected. The Shadow Ball imploded, sending both Eevee and Monferno flying back. Tadashi gave a nod in gratitude, expression grim as he looked back over the field. Both Eevees were now showing signs of exhaustion, but it was clear that the battle was beginning to take its toll on Monferno as well. They might still have a chance.

"Quick Attack!" His partner shot forward, Monferno getting up from its kneeling position just in time for Eevee to tackle it again.

"Grab its tail before it can get away!" the Playful Pokémon reached up as the Normal Type was beginning to scamper off of it, firmly grasping the Pokémon's bushy tail and keeping it from darting back to Tadashi's side. The Auroran paled while Hideyoshi's smirk returned.

"Now! Finish this with Mach Punch!" Monferno tugged on the Pokémon's tail, pulling it in and then delivering another punch to the Pokémon's face. Eevee cried out as the attack connected, the Playful Pokémon releasing its grip to let the Normal Type fly back to Tadashi's side in a crumpled mess. The Warlord slowly picked up his unconscious partner, mouth ajar and eyes shaking, fixated ahead in a blank stare. Kazumi was too shocked by the development to give an order, and her own partner fell to another Fire Punch moments later. It took a few seconds for the outcome to register for everyone.

"We..." the word was barely above a whisper as it escaped the female twin's lips, while Hideyoshi's face broke out in a wide grin.

"WON!" Kazumi and Oichi blinked as Hideyoshi let out a hearty cheer, grabbing his victorious partner's hands and began to dance around in a circle with it. All three Aurorans continued to stare on in incredulity as Monferno climbed up on Hideyoshi's shoulders, crying out its name in victory, arms raised in the air. The sudden weight didn't manage to break the Ignite's smile, but both his shoulders and knees started to quiver.

"M-Monferno! We've talked about this; you're getting too heavy for me... to... carry..." with that, Hideyoshi's wobbling legs gave out, Monferno jumping off as he fell forward. The Pokémon gave a sheepish apology while the exile got back to his feet, another bout of laughter escaping him. The Playful Pokémon joined in, clutching its stomach, while the three Warlords continued to stare on blankly at the scene.

"Um... Lady Kazumi," the female twin blinked and turned at Oichi's whispered question, the girl's grip tightening around her sleeping partner. "Do you think we should do something?"

She gave a silent, quick nod, and then cleared her throat loudly. "Uh, Hideyoshi?"

The Ignite stopped his laughing and blinked when he remembered he had an audience, quickly standing up and giving a sheepish smile to the Aurorans. "Heh, sorry 'bout that."

Hideyoshi then ran over to the edge of the platform, passing a still-stunned Tadashi, the former Warlord of Ignis cupping his hands around his mouth as he peered down at the mass of warriors still fighting below. "Stop! The battle's over!"

Kazumi turned around and followed him, looking over the railing with the Ignite to see that the fighting seemed to have grinded to a halt at Hideyoshi's declaration. The girl wondered in the back of her mind when Muneshige had arrived with the handful of warriors behind him, while Oichi concernedly waved a hand in front of Tadashi's face, finally snapping the boy out of his trance.

"Well, no point in stayin' up here any longer," Hideyoshi commented lightly as he turned around, taking a few steps towards the ladder with his partner before looking back over his shoulder. "You guys comin'?"

Kazumi and Oichi exchanged glances before following, Tadashi joining in with a muttered reply.

* * *

With the battle over, the 'courtyard' of the makeshift castle had been filled to the brim with warriors who had nothing to do other than talk. Ginchiyo was currently pacing back and forth in front of Muneshige, questioning his sudden appearance while he just smiled disinterestedly, and Hanbei and Kanbei were busy talking with a few of the warriors from Ignis. Hideyoshi was engrossed in a conversation with the three Warlords of Aurora as well, happily talking about the battle until a figurative lightbulb went off over Kazumi's head.

"I'll be right back," that was the only thing the girl said before darting off, Tadashi, Oichi and Hideyoshi all watching confusedly as the end of her ponytail disappeared into the crowd around them. Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head, the corners of Oichi's lips titled downwards slightly, and Tadashi blinked blankly before turning back to the Ignite hesitantly.

"So, Hideyoshi, what have you been doing since Fontaine?" Hideyoshi blinked and let out a small 'hm' at the question, lips turning upwards slightly.

"Eh, nothing too special. We wandered around for a while, did a few jobs for Motochika and kept tabs on you guys," Tadashi's eyes widened a bit.

"What?" Hideyoshi shrugged off the brunette's half-question, half-demand.

"I also paid a few personal visits to Ignis as well," it was Oichi's turn to interject.

"Personal visits?" the Warlord nodded.

"Yeah; I wanted to look into those rumors about that shrine hidden somewhere in Ignis' cave system, but couldn't find anything," Tadashi frowned.

"Shrine? Like the one in Violight?" Hideyoshi nodded again, lips curling upwards into a smile.

"Ya know; after you guys beat me, it crossed my mind that maybe _the_ Legendary Pokémon is a bit out of my league, but not the Legend of Truth," a look of recognition flashed over Oichi's features.

"You mean Reshiram?" the name rang a bell in the back of Tadashi's head. The brunette recalled reading about the old legends years ago, and then slowly began to dredge up memories of how his uncle would often tell him and Kazumi tales about the Legendary Pokémon of Truth and Ideals and their conflicts as bedtime stories, often spurring games where he and his sister would assume the identities of the Heroes that the Pokémon would supposedly chose to fight alongside them and reenact the stuff of legends the best that two children could. Of course, one of his uncle's most important rules was that they were not to play around the shrine, something they frequently broke to the point that poor Dosetsu would often be relegated to guard duty. Hideyoshi's reply shook him out of his reminiscences.

"Yep! Ya see, summoning the Legendary Pokémon and asking for everyone to be given links is one thing, but what if I could learn the truth behind links to begin with? Why only certain people get to have them, and how they work. Maybe then I can figure out a way to create my world, but without just wishing for it and poofing it into existence."

Both Aurorans raised an eyebrow at his explanation, and Tadashi spoke for both himself and Oichi. "Why?"

Hideyoshi put a hand to his chin, brown eyes glancing upwards in contemplation. "Well, that'd be the easy way, and I don't want that. I mean, summoning the Legendary Pokémon is all well and good, but would it really change much? I'd bet I'd be able to do more good by working towards it, by learning more, by _growing_ more, as I go along, with Monferno here by my side."

Oichi thought for a moment she heard Tadashi mutter 'that's pretty admirable' under his breath, followed by a belated 'rival', but he spoke up before she got a chance to see if the Warlord across from them heard anything. "But you didn't manage to find what you were looking for, so what now?"

"Well, I'll just have to keep lookin', I guess..." the Ignite pursed his lips. "I dunno, maybe-"

Hideyoshi cut himself off as Kazumi made her way through the crowd, face flushed and hands going to her knees as she came to a stop, hunching over as she regained her breath. "Sorry... for taking so long..."

The Warlord of Ignis scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "Hey, ya look a little flushed. Do you want a glass of water or somethin'?"

"I'm fine..." she wheezed out with a shake of the head, before standing back upright. The three other Warlords then noticed the leather-bound book she was clutching in one of her hands, Hideyoshi's face lighting up at it when the girl handed it to him. "Here; you left this in Ignis."

"Oh, my journal! Thanks!" he eagerly opened up the tome, eyes flitting over the contents as he flipped through the pages, before looking back up to the purple-clad Warlord across from him. "You didn't happen to read it, did you?"

"No," Kazumi replied quickly, while Tadashi shifted slightly. Hideyoshi only hummed in response, closing the book and stuffing it under his arm before the four resumed their conversation. It dragged on for a while, all four amicably talking and running over different topics, until Hideyoshi excused himself to go speak with a nearby and alone Kanbei, leaving the trio to talk amongst themselves. The Ignite passed by a solitary Mitsunari on his way, the boy silently watching the warriors around him before taking a look down at the ground beneath his boots, absentmindedly counting the many blades of grass below while Pawniard dug its foot into the dirt. His loneness dissipated as a shadow covered him -not that he needed Kiyomasa or Masanori to not feel lonely, as the boy told himself- and he looked up to see Sakon and Shiftry looming over him. The scruffy man gave him a relaxed smile.

"Hey, kid," the auburn-haired warrior's eye twitched.

"My name's Mitsunari," Hideyoshi's tactician remained unfazed at the annoyance in his voice.

"Well, Misunari, I just wanted to say you did a pretty good job out there," Mitsunari only rolled his eyes, an action that Sakon didn't catch due to his headdress, but still suspected he did.

"It was five against one. You would have been beaten eventually," the man above him chuckled.

"Yeah, but you're what, ten? Eleven?" Sakon didn't notice Mitsunari tense up slightly. "Most kids your age wouldn't be able to handle a battle as coolly as you did."

"I, uh..." the boy blinked, taking a glance back down at his partner before looking up at the tactician, clearly unsure with how to respond properly to the praise. "Thanks?"

Sakon only smiled a bit wider. "Think nothing of it, Mitsunari. You have potential; just make sure it doesn't go to waste."

The scruffy man and his partner left after that, leaving the kid in thought. He absentmindedly turned around and collided with Hideyoshi's lanky forearm.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that," Mitsunari grunted as he fell back and landed on the hard ground, Hideyoshi and Pawniard both helping the boy back to his feet. The boy looked up, eyes peering out at Hideyoshi, who only smiled in return to Mitsunari's leering.

"Let me ask you this-"

"Sure, shoot," the boy's lips twitched at the Ignite's interjection, but carried on.

"Why go through all the trouble of building all this," Mitsunari then lifted one of his hands, pointing in the direction of the tower above them. "If you are only going to use it for one battle and will have to abandon it afterwards?"

Hideyoshi put a hand to his chin, Monferno mimicking his motions. "Shock and awe, really. We'd also have a better chance of winning if we forced you guys to fight on our terms."

Mitsunari blinked. "I never took you for someone who took tactics into consideration."

The cream-wearing Warlord chuckled and scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "Heh... I guess I did make my share of stupid mistakes back then. But hey; I got to learn from them, so it's not all bad. That, and losing Hanbei and Kanbei kinda forced me to start thinkin' for myself."

Hideyoshi blinked, dropping his sheepish expression and looking back down at the kid. "Speakin' of Hanbei, you haven't happened to see him, have ya?"

Mitsunari nodded, gaze distant as he replied in his usual, detached manner, and then pointed to one of the few areas of the field that was relatively vacant, where the white and gold of the tactician's attire easily made him stand out from the wood and grass around him. "He's over there."

"Thanks," Hideyoshi replied hastily before darting off in the direction Mitsunari had pointed him towards, coming up behind the raven-haired youth in a matter of seconds. "Heya, Hanbei!"

Hanbei jumped in place, but quickly recomposed himself and turned around, giving Hideyoshi one of his usual smiles, followed by a quiet greeting. The Warlord's reaction was to take a step back shock.

"H-Hanbei! Gods, you look almost as pale as Kanbei!" Hanbei blinked innocently and gave one his usual blithe smiles before waving off the teen's hyperbole.

"Nah, it's just the shadows," the tactican then motioned up to the tower spiraling above them, engulfing the two warriors in its shade, before looking back at Hideyoshi. "But I'm fine. How've you been, Hideyoshi?"

Hideyoshi response was to steel his features and lean in. "Fine, thank you, but it's obvious that you're not, Hanbei. You shouldn't be fighting when you're sick."

Hanbei's smile faded away into an emotionless facade. "I'm fine."

The Ignite gritted his teeth. "Hanbei; you might have been able to convince everyone else that you're fine, maybe even Kanbei, but I know you well enough to know that's not the truth. I can't order ya to tell me what's wrong, but I'm asking you as a friend that you don't keep pretending nothing's wrong and go get some help."

The tactician turned around, purple eyes narrowing slightly and voice detached as he walked away. "I'm fine, Hideyoshi..."

Hanbei was out of Hideyoshi's sight in seconds, effortlessly blending back into the crowd a few feet away. The Warlord blanched, shook his head, and then looked back at Kazumi. "I might not be able to... but you, Lady Kazumi..."

Hideyoshi sighed and returned to the three Aurorans.

* * *

Before the Aurorans had a chance to leave the fort, a few seconds after Hideyoshi mentioned that he and his warriors would need to head out soon if they wanted to get to their next destination before sundown, the Warlord had pulled Kazumi aside and out of earshot. Tadashi didn't know what to make of the scene, but based on the serious of Hideyoshi's voice and face as he asked for a word, it was clear to the Auroran that it wasn't just Hideyoshi idly flirting.

When Tadashi asked her what Hideyoshi took her aside to talk about as they left the former Warlord of Ignis and his makeshift castle behind, her only reply was a nervous bite of the bottom lip and a muttered 'nothing you should worry yourself over, brother'. Naturally, Tadashi's response was to get more nervous, but he managed to hide it well under a reluctant nod as they continued walking.

The hours after passed by relatively quickly, Tadashi heading for the training room of Chrysalia in the late morning as he had become accustomed to doing in the month prior. The Warlord gave a curt nod to Ginchiyo as he walked in, the woman raising an eyebrow before tearing herself away from the training dummy that she had been mercilessly battering. Afterwards, the two silently continued their lessons from the previous month like there had never been any interruption, the sound of wood colliding with wood echoing throughout the room shortly after.

The two traded blows in a mock duel after running through basic drills, grunting as they brought their practice blades against each other, parrying, slashing and twirling around in a dangerous dance as both looked for a weakness in the other's form. Tadashi gritted his teeth as they wound up in a deadlock, feeling himself being pushed back as the Violighter put more pressure into it until his footing slipped for a second. That was all Ginchiyo needed to break through his defenses, pushing forward, throwing his arms to the side and slamming the hilt of her blade into his unprotected shoulder.

Tadashi grunted, and combined with a well timed push and step from the woman, stumbled back and tripped. The Auroran's blade slipped out of his hand, clattering against the floor, out of his reach, and he looked up to see the tip of Ginchiyo's own wooden sword leveled straight between his silvery eyes, her face unreadable as her own steely eyes peered down at him through her bangs.

"Better," the Violighter's voice, laced with her usual determination and authority, cut through the tense atmosphere that had descended over them. Tadashi let out a pent up breath, and then hung his head.

"Maybe I lasted longer, but I was still on the defensive the entire time," Ginchiyo only huffed, causing him to look up, to see that she had withdrawn her blade and extended a hand.

"I don't expect you to suddenly improve without training," Tadashi blinked at her comment after taking her hand and getting back on his feet.

"I still don't feel like I've gotten much better than since I started, though," the Auroran swore he caught Ginchiyo rolling her eyes at the comment, then dismissed the notion as she turned to the window, arms crossed as she gazed out.

"Father once told me about a Warlord in the far north, who's considered one of the greatest swordsmen in Ransei. And I can guarantee you that it took him decades of training and fighting to reach such a level," Ginchiyo turned back to Tadashi. "It's about lunchtime."

Tadashi gave a nod, and the two Warlords silently left the room behind. A few minutes later, the two were sitting down in the empty main hall, silently eating. Tadashi looked up from his half-eaten bowl of rice to the Violighter across from him, herself silently eating a ponigiri. Given how close to lunch they trained, the two would usually end up eating together before continuing. It was an uncomfortable situation for both when they started, to say the least, but as they gradually got used to the other's presence, it became more tolerable. Seeing as how they rarely traded small talk during their lunches, though, as neither really knew what exactly to say, it took Ginchiyo a few seconds to realize that the sudden sound that had crashed through their silence was Tadashi setting down his bowl and clearing his throat. The Auroran looked up at her hesitantly, lips parting slowly in consideration, and it took a small frown from her to get the words to finally leave his throat.

"What is it that you want, Ginchiyo? What do you strive for?" Ginchiyo blinked at the question, and then crossed her arms.

"What I have always wanted; to carry on my father's legacy and prove myself worthy of it," in the back of his mind, Tadashi was tempted to bring up how she already lost the Dark Stone, but shot down the thought and simply settled for a quiet acknowledgement and taking another small bite out of his lunch.

"And what is it that you fight for?" the brunette looked up from his food and let out a heavy sigh.

"Stopping Nobunaga. I don't know beyond that... Not anymore," his voice dropped as he said that, silvery eyes glancing down at his food again, but the Violighter across from him still managed to catch it and raised an eyebrow.

Before Ginchiyo could get a chance to question Tadashi on what he meant, Kazumi appeared in the doorway, looked between the two, and cleared her throat. "Sorry to barge in, but I'll need to borrow my brother for a little while."

The Violighter sighed. "As you wish."

Tadashi gave a grateful nod to Ginchiyo before standing and leaving the room with his twin, leaving the woman alone with her lunch. But before she could resume eating, Muneshige decided to appear in the door and gave an ostentatious bow that made the Warlord sigh. "My lady."

"Speak," Ginchiyo's reply was forceful, and he quickly obliged with a smile.

"Lord Dosetsu wishes to speak with you," she stood up quickly and strode out of the room at the mention of her father, Muneshige stepping to the side to allow her passage before falling in behind her. They walked down the hallway, Ginchiyo looking from door to door until she stopped and spun around at hearing her retainer's quiet chuckling.

"What?" the woman's narrowed eyes and demanding inflection did nothing to perturb Muneshige, and he simply stood off to the side and raised a hand in the opposite direction.

"I think you might have a better chance of finding your father if you went that way, my lady," Ginchiyo just muttered something underneath her breath and shot Muneshige a glare as she passed by, the Warlord only smiling in response before following her once again. After a bit of backtracking, Muneshige directed her to one of the courtyards, devoid of any occupants except the retired Warlord, waiting with his napping partner. The older Warlord was sitting quietly against one of the stone benches adorning the plaza, silently watching a few Starly idly chirp and flitter about a few feet away. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon, resting at his feet, followed the Flying Types as they hopped around, and absentmindedly wondered in the back of its head if it could catch them.

The Starling Pokémon flew away as Muneshige and Ginchiyo approached, the sounds of their heavy footsteps causing Dosetsu to turn around and Luxray to look up. Ginchiyo wondered for a moment if her father had always looked so bony, but pushed the thought aside and gave a small bow.

"Father?"

"Ginchiyo. Muneshige," the aging Warlord motioned for the two to come forward, and let out a sigh as he looked over them. "Listen well you two; you're the future of Violight. There will come a time when I won't be around anymore, and the two of you will have to lead it on your own."

The dandy next to Ginchiyo took notice of her obvious shift in temperament, her usually serious disposition making way for concern. "Father!?"

Dosetsu waved her off. "I'm not kicking the bucket anytime soon, but the reality remains."

"And what of Lord Tadashi and Lady Kazumi, my lord?" Dosetsu only shook his head in response Muneshige's question, and let out a 'bah'.

"Aurora's both their responsibility and home now; the two of you will have to be the ones to guide Violight once this war's over. And I expect you two to begin behaving as such," the veteran looked up, eyes meeting his daughter's. "That means you can't let your pride dictate your actions anymore, Ginchiyo."

His voice was as steely as his gaze, and the young woman flinched and gave a bow. "Yes sir."

The retired Warrior's eyes shifted over to the dandy. "And Muneshige; if I didn't think of you as the son I never had, I would have slapped you silly years ago."

Muneshige grew a very uneasy smile, and for a moment he thought he saw Ginchiyo smirk out of the corner of his eyes. "I... will take that to heart, Lord Dosetsu."

The older man nodded in return, seemingly satisfied with leaving a visibly disturbed Muneshige in his wake, and leaned back into the bench. "Good. Now run along; my throat's sore."

The two gave another bow to Dosetsu before turning back towards the castle, Muneshige letting out a pent up breath along the way. He was certain he caught the corners of Ginchiyo's lips twitching upwards for a split second, but pushed the thought aside.

"So..." the woman cut him off as they entered the keep.

"As part of Violight's future; _you're_ doing the paperwork," the maroon-clad Warlord chuckled and brushed aside his bangs.

"As you wish."

* * *

"You dragged me away to go _shopping_?" Kazumi only shrugged nonchalantly at her brother's exasperated question, absentmindedly looking around at the various stalls and shops that made up Chrysalia's marketplace before turning back to look at him. With his arms crossed and lips pursed, the Warlord cut a stark contrast to the auburn-haired girl next to him, Oichi being busy looking around in awe at her surroundings.

"You need to learn to relax once in a while, Tadashi. Besides; I'm pretty sure you've gotten taller, and I doubt you want me picking out your clothes for you," Tadashi's eyes narrowed, but Kazumi just turned back to the front and resumed her trek.

"Shopping is not my idea of relaxing, Kazumi," the girl only rolled her eyes.

"And what is?" Tadashi opened his mouth and raised a hand, but then blinked, lips curling downwards as he crossed his arms again.

"That still doesn't mean you can just drag me around..." Kazumi just chuckled at his utterance, before directing them into a small blacksmith. The trio were immediately assaulted with a blast of hot air and the loud, clanging sound of a hammer clashing against metal, and looked past the assortment of various pieces and sets of armor and metallic items on display to the shopkeeper in the back, who looked up from the anvil below and dropped whatever he had been working on in a barrel of water, steam hissing out from it as he walked up to the counter.

"Welcome! What can I get ya?"

"Just browsing for now, thanks," Kazumi replied, sapphire orbs gazing over various mirrors and clocks while Tadashi walked up to a shelf lined with various helmets. His eyes scanned over them, occasionally picking up one to get a better look, until he finally decided on one and took it over to the counter. The blacksmith, busy disinterestedly flipping through a nearby book on alchemy while the trio browsed through his shop, looked up when Tadashi placed the helmet down on the table along with his maedate.

"Do you think you can weld that onto this helmet?" Tadashi asked, gesturing to his headpiece. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, picking up the golden object to examine it, before giving a nod and looking back at his customer.

"Sure; but it'll probably take a while and cost a bit extra," Tadashi let out a disappointed sigh.

"I have time to kill," the Warlord turned back to Oichi and Kazumi, the latter looking over a set of silverware.

"I'll catch up later, Kazumi," the girl looked up, eyes glancing over to him.

"All right; we'll meet up at that ponigiri stand we passed by one the way in," the twin then reached down to her sash and tossed him a small pouch. Tadashi caught the sack, turning it over in his hands to hear the clinking of the coins inside, before looking back to the counter to watch the blacksmith begin working on the helmet. Kazumi and Oichi left a minute or two later, looking over most of the nearby shops and talking idly for what both decided had to be about an hour. A few seconds of quiet passed after they entered another clothing store, Kazumi running through various blouses and dresses while Oichi picked up a few ribbons and glanced down at a golden hair ornament with a Jigglypuff motif, until the pink clad girl turned around to her friend.

"Lady Kazumi?" Kazumi pulled her head out from the line of clothes, turning around to meet Oichi while keeping a hand on a particular coat.

"Yes, Oichi?"

"If I may ask; why tell me what Hideyoshi told you but not Lord Tadashi?" the Auroran took a glance down at the floor, lips pursing slightly, before looking back up at the girl across from her.

"Brother has enough on his plate already, and I don't need to add something else for him to worry about," Kazumi's eyes darted to the side for a moment, voice dropping. "I'll try talking to Hanbei about it tonight."

Oichi blinked at her response, folding her hands and tilting her head slightly. "But didn't that just make him worry anyways?"

"Its part of being a sibling," the co-Warlord replied with a small smile. "Certainly there were times when your brother got concerned over nothing?"

Kazumi immediately realized her mistake when Oichi's shaky eyes glanced down, the girl's rosy lips curling into a small frown and trembling fingers interlocking. "I... can't really say there were any..."

Fortunately for the two, Tadashi choose that moment to reappear, and immediately caused both girls to turn to greet him. The brunette cut off his sister's impending question. "You were taking too long, so I decided to find you."

It was then that Oichi and Kazumi both noticed that Tadashi's golden headpiece was missing from its usual place, allowing his hair to fall in a disheveled mess over his forehead, and instead was replaced with the helmet he held underneath his arm. The twin's blue eyes then looked down at the sizeable bag he was holding in his other hand. "Finished already?"

"I don't need much," Tadashi's reply left little room for questioning, but Kazumi counted the fact that he had gotten anything as a victory in of itself. The Warlord looked back and took the white coat she had been keeping ahold of off its hanger, lifting it up for the two other Warlords to see.

"So what do you think of this?" Oichi smiled.

"I think it would go well with that shirt you bought," the Auroran turned the article around, looked over it again with a more scrutinizing gaze, and then grew a smile that mimicked Oichi's.

"I think you're right, Oichi. Okay, I'll get it," Kazumi took a step towards the back, but stopped and turned back to the warrior in pink. "Are you sure you don't want to get anything?"

Oichi shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

Seconds later, the female twin had paid for the coat, grabbed the other bag that was waiting where she had been standing, and the trio were on their way back to Chrysalia's castle.

"Kazumi..." Tadashi's voice, despite being as quiet as it was, quickly made itself heard over Kazumi and Oichi's conversation, and the brunette craned her neck to look at her brother as he continued. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Hm?" Kazumi ignored the feeling creeping up in her stomach as he took a deep breath.

"Listen; I still don't think I'm fit to be a Warlord. Not yet."

"Brother-" Tadashi cut off his anxious sibling with a shake of the head.

"I'm not going to leave, no, but I think things would be better if most of the decision making was left up to you," Kazumi felt like protesting, but decided that she should count her blessings and simply let out a weary sigh and a heavy shake of the head in acquiescence.

"All right. When you feel like you're ready-"

"I will."

* * *

Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori found themselves spending their afternoon in one of the more quiet corners of Chrysalia's garden-like courtyard, Kiyomasa and Masanori engaged in a mock battle while Mitsunari leaned against a nearby tree, watching their battle disinterestedly and occasionally looking past them to observe Yoshimoto kicking his ball back and forth aloofly with Forretress. He actually pitied the man; all alone, with only his partner to keep him company his madness.

"I'm sorry," both boys stopped their battle, blinked, and turned to face Mitsunari, Kiyomasa raising a silvery-eyebrow in confusion.

"For what?"

"Everything," Masanori and Kiyomasa quickly exchanged glances, Masanori shooting another concerned glance over his shoulder at Mitsunari, who was now staring down at the ground, arms crossed and a contrite expression carving itself onto his face, and then looked back to Kiyomasa and shrugged.

"Apology accepted?" the green-clad boy replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his head before continuing. "Are you feeling okay, Mitsunari?"

Mitsunari's response was to shake his head and move his arm as if he was brushing aside the question. "I'm fine, just... thinking."

"All right..." Kiyomasa's voice was far less confident than his words, but he turned back to his and Masanori's unresolved battle, Mitsunari watching them trade commands for a few seconds before looking back down again.

* * *

Mitsuhide hated that he had to spend one of the very few leaves he got doing the exact same thing he would have done back in Dragnor; reading over reports. Seated down on a small cushion in the ornate great hall of his castle, the man looked up from the many scrolls and papers arrayed before him, gazing out one of the frozen windows that adorned the walls, offering him a perfect view of the snowy landscape outside. He recalled that Gracia had wanted to go ice-skating...

The Warlord shook his head and looked back down at his work, drowning his thoughts in impersonal numbers. Time passed by at a painfully slow pace, eyes scanning over every document that was within his reach, and he was almost lulled away from his troubles until a flighty voice bounced off the walls and reached his hearing.

"Papa! Papa!" Mitsuhide's head shot up from the logistical report he had been engrossed in, tossing aside the scroll and shooting out of his seat as Gracia bolted through the door. "Soup... Light... and light..."

Her face was flushed, and it was difficult to make out her panicked words through her gasps for air, but that didn't keep his parental instincts from going into overdrive. Mitsuhide's hands grasped his daughter's shoulders, a bit more roughly than he wanted, and she stopped long enough to take a deep breath before pulling on his wrist with much more strength than the Nixtormite thought she possessed, and begin leading him back down the hallway.

After recovering from her initial tug, which had managed to unbalance him long enough for Gracia to pull him through the doorway, Mitsuhide began walking alongside her, easily keeping pace with her frantic steps, and spoke up as calmly as he could.

"Gracia," the girl showed no signs of hearing him as she continued to lead her father by the hand, her words still a jumbled mess, and he frowned before speaking a bit louder. "Gracia."

She stopped and looked up, and it was then that the Warlord realized they were outside her bedroom. "What's this about light?"

"I was feeding some soup to Gothita, and then suddenly this weird golden light-" Mitsuhide blinked at her hasty reply, eyes narrowing.

"What Gothita?" Gracia gulped when she realized her slip of the tongue, green orbs glancing down nervously as she dug the toe of her shoe into the floorboards. The Warlord of Nixtorm leaned forward, causing the girl to shrink lower underneath his gaze.

"Gracia Akechi; what Gothita?" her lips began to tremble, dainty hands balling up into fists.

"I'm sorry, papa! I know you don't want me around Pokémon, but I couldn't just leave her out in the snow!" Mitsuhide quickly pushed the door open and ran inside Gracia's room. The first thing he saw was a discarded bowl on the floor, upside down with its contents spilled nearby. His eyes then trailed up to her small bed, catching sight of a small, black and purple Pokémon buried underneath a mess of covers and a small bag of ice. He then spun around to his daughter, the girl still standing in the doorway, eyes watery and silently pleading with him to not take her new friend away.

"Y-You said there was a golden light?" the urgency in his voice demanded an answer, and Gracia nodded silently, eyes still nervously looking up at him. Mitsuhide felt the air get knocked out of his chest, gaze distant as he soaked in the realization.

Gracia now had a partner. He had failed to protect her. The link between a partner and Pokémon couldn't just be severed will, and now that she had a partner she was a more than just a little girl, innocent and optimistic; she was a warrior now. A target. And all as a result of his failings.

"Papa?" Gracia had become concerned over his complete lack of motion and blank stare, slipping her delicate hand into his, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Papa, is everything going to be okay?"

"I..." his voice was shaky, eyes slowly going down to his daughter, who was looking back up at him in curiosity. Mitsuhide couldn't bring himself to tell her, and simply wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his side. "It will be, dear. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Night had fallen, and Hanbei entered his room with a heavy yawn. He stretched his arms behind his head, shot a glance over at Kanbei, who was engrossed at everything spread out over his desk as usual, and carried onto his bed, his Electric Type partner already napping on the pillow. The tactician stopped mid-step, though, purple eyes bulging and stifling a grunt, and a hand immediately clutched his chest as he began to feel a debilitating pain building up in him.

"No, not yet..." he muttered before a quiet cough escaped him. "Just... a little longer..."

It was after that he succumbed to another bout of quiet coughing. Kanbei had become accustomed to the noise; Hanbei having just waved it off as a cold he was fighting off, and himself having only a few lingering doubts clinging to the corners of his mind and no substantial reason to believe otherwise. But when Hanbei's coughs transformed into a fit of violent hacking, the albino immediately knew something was wrong.

"Hanbei?" Kanbei stood up when the only answer he got was more wheezing, and his eyes went wide when he turned around. "Hanbei!"

A thin trail of blood was beginning to run down the corner of Hanbei's lips, trailing down his jawline and dripping flecks of crimson onto the immaculate white below. The youth's eyes were glassy, gaze distant and frame trembling, and he coughed violently again, clutching his throat while more blood spluttered past his lips. Kanbei rushed forward as Hanbei stumbled backwards, hitting the wall and slinking down against it with another hack. The Ignite rushed down to the youth's level, tossing aside his floppy hat which was covering his face, and then shook Hanbei frantically. The only response he got was another cough and a faint glimmer of recognition in the tactician's eyes.

It was then that Kazumi opened the door. "Hanbei, I need to tal-"

The Warlord stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her, the words dying in her throat, and Kanbei's head shot up to her.

"Get help! Quickly!" Kazumi nodded and bolted from the doorframe, her shouts becoming distant to him as he looked back down at the tactician in his arms, watching helplessly as his eyelids slowly closed.


	31. Chapter 31

"He's waking up!" Hanbei let out a soft groan as the voice, distant and unfocused, met his ears. Light flooded his vision as he slowly pried his eyes open, the sudden light blinding the tactician and causing him to let out another groan as he tried to shield his vision. His arms felt like bricks, but everyone in the room spared him the effort by immediately crowding around his bed. It was hard to make out, the light casting shadows over everyone who was leaning in, but he could still easily tell they were concerned or relieved.

"Move back, give him some space!" the tactician didn't recognize the voice, but as the warriors around him hesitantly obeyed, he caught sight of an elderly man standing off to the side, rummaging through a small bag. Based on the Audino standing by his side, peering at the tactician's bed worriedly, and the various medical tools the man was pulling out of his satchel, Hanbei suspected he was a doctor. Said doctor finally settled on pulling out a small capsule and handing it to Kazumi with a whispered comment, and give a small, solemn bow before he departed. The girl took a look back to his bed to see that, while most of the warriors had kept their space, it and the semi-conscious tactician in it were still the center of attention. Hanbei didn't look too comfortable with so many people in his room, being surrounded by their quiet whispering and anxious glances, and so he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep while the co-Warlord tapped on her brother's shoulder. He turned around, having been busy engrossed in a conversation with Oichi, and gave his sister a nod as she motioned to the door.

Most of the room took Tadashi and Oichi heading for the door as cue for themselves to leave, and within moments the only occupants left were Hanbei, Kanbei, and Kazumi. Kanbei was looming over Hanbei's bedside, looking down on the sleeping tactician with the saddest look the twin had ever seen on the albino's face, and she solemnly took her place across from him. Hanbei's shallow breathing stopped and he slowly opened his eyes, lazily shifting from Kanbei to her before his eyelids slowly began to droop again. Kazumi opened her mouth, a thousand thoughts and questions flying through her head and none of them managing to escape her. Finally, she forced herself to take a deep breath, eyes shakily meeting Hanbei's dimmed purple, and begin again.

"Why?" somehow, Hanbei curled his lips into a weak smile, a shadow of what it once was.

"Why what?" the tactician's voice was hoarse, disrupting the innocent façade he tried to set up, which was only dashed further when another bout of coughing overcame him. Kanbei handed him a handkerchief to wipe away the blood instead of using his hand, while Kazumi sighed and shook her head.

"Please don't, Hanbei..." the tactician's face slowly settled back into a reserved visage as the Warlord continued. "The doctor said that you've had this for about a month."

The brunette looked down, the edges of her lips trembling as she forced out her next question. "Why didn't you say something, ask for help?"

Hanbei only closed his eyes and let out a rough sigh. Both warriors standing over him could practically hear the blood and bile in the back of his throat. "Why?"

The narcoleptic's eyes opened, lips curling downwards into a pained scowl. "Because people need their lies, Kazumi."

"What?" a ghost of a smile crept onto Hanbei's face at the question, his eyes shifting from the ceiling to the Auroran at his bedside. He let out a pent-up breath.

"Do you know what the basis of all strategy is?" Kazumi raised an eyebrow and looked up to the other side of the bed, watching a frown etch itself onto Kanbei's pale features as he replied.

"Deception," Hanbei nodded weakly, drifting back over to the girl.

"Exactly," his voice sounded hoarser than it did a few seconds ago. "It's the world we live in. If you want to climb higher, you have to step on something, or be stepped on."

"And..." he beat back a few pained coughs. "I won't let myself become the thing that does us in. Everything will be fine, no one needs to worry over me."

As if to prove his point, Hanbei began hacking again, more blood sputtering pass his lips. Kanbei scowled, eyes narrowing in a strange combination of pity and anger - and certainly with more passion than the stunned Warlord of Aurora had ever seen on him before. "And were you not the one who said that reality was more important than perception?"

"I'm not ignoring reality, Kanbei," the tactician's lips curled into a sad, almost mocking, smile. "I'm accepting it. And I might as well make the most of it."

Kazumi, who had been watching on helplessly in horror, only looked down at Hanbei with shaky eyes and a thousand more thoughts running through her head. Had Hanbei merely convinced himself his time had come and resigned himself to such a fate? Or was the frail looking youth underneath her truly slipping away?

Was now even the time to be wondering such?

"Nobody asked you to do this," it took the Warlord a few seconds for her to realize that the statement came from her, but Kazumi built off it. "Nobody wanted you to, either."

Hanbei chuckled weakly, and for a moment she mistook it as crying. "It doesn't matter."

Kazumi let out a heavy sigh after that, looking down at the capsule still held in her tight grip before leaving the room. Hanbei's eyes watched the Warlord as she took her leave, and the tactician lifted up the covers and tried to move his feet onto the floor below. A firm grip from Kanbei on his shoulder, gently pulling him back to the bed, made him stop. "Where are you going?"

The narcoleptic sighed. "Like I said, Kanbei; no one needs to worry about me."

The albino's dark eyes narrowed, and he tugged a bit harder on Hanbei's shoulder. "Would you truly be so cruel as to let yourself die?"

A breath escaped the tactician in white, lips curling downwards as his eyes shifted over to the side. He gave no answer, and instead leaned back against his pillow. "Kanbei?"

The youth, still looming over his bedside, raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Don't..." Hanbei coughed again, but it sounded a bit less throaty than his previous. "Don't shut away your emotions, Kanbei."

Kanbei only nodded silently, visage becoming even graver as he closed his eyes. The attention of both was redirected when Kazumi reentered the room, a small cup in one hand and her eyes set on the purple-eyed tactician as she made her way back over to his bedside.

"The doctor says you need to take two of these a day," she muttered as she opened his clammy hand and dropped a small pill into it. The tactician stared at the medicine in his palm for a few seconds, and then back at the Warlord when she held out the cup of water. "Please, you don't have to-"

"You're not expendable, Hanbei," the tactician was surprised at her bluntness, but in the back of his mind, he appreciated it. She continued as he took the cup. "And I couldn't live with myself if I viewed you - or anyone - like so."

Hanbei coughed again, crimson sneaking past the pale lips that had curled into a cruel smile, furthered only by his weak laughter. "And _that's_ why I would gladly suffer and die for the world you'll make, for your cause..."

He felt a twinge of guilt at the look that overcame both Kazumi and Kanbei's faces at his declaration, and, perhaps if only to give them some small measure of comfort, swallowed the pill in his hand. He chased it down with a gulp of water, using it to mask an utterance. "And for you..."

The tactician forced some more air into his lungs as he placed the cup onto the bedside table, and his eyes narrowed as he continued. "And I would much prefer to die fighting for that instead of being some useless fool cooped up in bed."

"You're not going to die," Kazumi's voice was as shaky as her eyes, but she kept up appearances, steeling her features best she could. "That's an order."

Hanbei's smile returned in a much more wistful fashion, voice following suit. "If only it was that easy..."

A few seconds of silence passed, filled with only the sounds of the tactician's labored breathing, until finally he broke it again. "Please leave."

Both looked at him in even more shock, Kanbei voicing his sentiments first. "Not in your current state."

The narcoleptic's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to get either of you sick."

Kanbei frowned, but a silent command from Hanbei caused him to acquiesce with a sigh. He stood, Kazumi reluctantly following after a few bated seconds filled with internal debating, and Hanbei watched as they slowly left the room, both warriors sparing a look back at him before disappearing around the doorframe. He could just barely hear them talking as they left - about his condition, the Ignite suspected, and he knew his prospects weren't good- but closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the pillow. While wondering if the medicine was sleep-inducing, as his eyelids felt heavier than usual, the tactician faintly heard the light pitter-patter of quiet footsteps echoing around him. Hanbei would have been content to ignore it and fall asleep, but his partner seemed to have over plans. The Electric Mouse Pokémon hopped up on his bed, gently shaking his much larger form while muttering its name worriedly, and Hanbei finally sat up with a gravelly groan.

"Hey, Pikachu..." he muttered, dazed, before blinking a few times to refocus his blurry vision. The Pokémon was looking up at him with a frown, eyes wide and silently pleading with him. Hanbei groaned, coughed, and leaned back.

"Not you too, buddy," Pikachu's ears dropped a bit, the Electric Type cooing out a few words, and the tactician sighed. Hanbei pushed himself up with no small amount of difficultly, using his quivering elbows to support himself as he looked back down at his partner with a grim expression. "Pikachu?"

The Pokémon looked up, ears twitching in recognition as Hanbei continued. "Listen... I know that you won't have much of a reason to stick around if I'm gone, but can you do me a favor and keep an eye out for Lady Kazumi?"

Pikachu nodded bleakly, but a small smile managed to come over the tactician's face before he feel back onto his pillow. "Thanks..."

Steady, labored breathing filled the room moments later, while Pikachu slowly scampered back underneath the bed.

* * *

A day passed. Kazumi and Kanbei reappeared by his bedside, the latter pulling the covers up over his mouth in response to the tactician's objections. Hanbei rolled his eyes, but made no further complaints, while Kazumi pulled up a nearby chair and handed him a cup of tea that felt a bit too warm to the touch. Hanbei let a small smile onto his face. It felt nice to have someone offer support, and neither of them were stupid enough to not get help themselves.

A few minutes of quiet conversation passed, and he found himself fading in and out of consciousness for what felt like hours. When he finally decided to stay awake for some sustained period of time, it was already midday, and Kanbei was busy reading while Kazumi was half-asleep herself as she looked over some official-looking papers. Both quickly set aside what they were doing when they saw he was awake and sitting upright.

"Hey," Kazumi greeted while she handed him his untouched tea, removing the cover she placed on it.

"Morning," Hanbei croaked out as he took a sip. The lukewarm liquid stung when it hit the back of his throat, but it felt good to be drinking something after all his coughing.

"Afternoon," the albino corrected. Hanbei chuckled. The conversation for the three carried on from there, but no matter how hard they tried, the situation at hand still hung heavy over them like a thick fog, slowly enveloping and choking them like Hanbei below. Eventually, Kazumi felt the need to address it.

"Hanbei?" the tactician looked over to her.

"Yeah?"

"How do you think you caught this?" Hanbei's visage darkened, and he sunk back into his pillow, which was starting to go flat from overuse.

"What does it matter?" the youth's eyes narrowed, and he fought back a cough long enough to finish. "It'll be over soon."

The trembling eyes she looked down on him with made the tactician regret his bluntness. He gritted his teeth, biting back another cough, while the Warlord only looked on with increasing distress.

"Hanbei, don't..." Kazumi cut herself off, eyes beginning to water, and Hanbei beat down the urge to reach up and wipe away her tears. He hated himself for it, but making sure she would not get sick was more important.

"Don't cry over me..." the tactician bleated. Hanbei felt his anger return at himself for putting her in such a position, having her sit back helplessly and slowly watch the life die out in someone else she cared for, but he managed to mask it with another pained cough. "You're a strong girl."

"Please..." the Warlord stopped again, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I-"

"I know," the tactician said quickly. Kazumi looked on, a breath held in as if she was waiting for something else to be said, but all Hanbei could do was look back up at her. Their eyes met, both staring at the other for a handful of painfully long seconds, and on some level, Hanbei knew she understood. Finally, Kazumi broke off contact and stood, voice shaky as her hands.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go formalize the battle plans with Motonari," she tossed one last look over her shoulder before leaving. "You'll be coming, Hanbei."

A minute or so passed in a stifling silence before Kanbei cleared his throat. "Why did you not tell her?"

"If I die..." Hanbei started hacking, forcing himself upright before it began to subside. "I couldn't do that to her. To hold that out so close in front of her and then snatch it away, to crush her like that... it would be a death in of itself. I'd rather my last act be to give her some false hope it was unrequited, to give her a small chance to ease the pain, some consolation, even if it means I have to swallow one last bitter pill myself."

"All the more reason to live..." Kanbei murmured low enough that Hanbei wouldn't hear, before speaking up. "Lord Motonari said that which remains unsaid is the basis of all tragedies."

"And sometimes we have to be strong enough to bear that, Kanbei," Hanbei's voice dropped. "That's why I also don't want her to know how I got sick."

"Do you truly believe that this path is for the better?" the narcoleptic frowned.

"I don't know... I can't know. Maybe I just need to convince myself it is," Kanbei raised an eyebrow.

"And if you live?"

"Then I'm a fool," Hanbei said bitterly, hands closing into weak fists. "A fool for getting consumption, a fool for not hiding it better, and a fool for holding everyone back."

"You could not have predicted staying out all those nights would result in this," the tactician in white raised an eyebrow. Consolation from Kanbei was rare, but he was all the more grateful for it. Hanbei then let a small chuckle escape him.

"Still, it was worth it to see the smile on her face..." the tactician then blinked, face dropping for a second. "Well, I could have gone without nearly scaring her to death, but I think she enjoyed the view regardless."

Hanbei's gaze drifted back over to the albino, giving a smile and a few final words before fading back to sleep. "Thank you, Kanbei."

* * *

More days passed.

Hanbei could feel his strength slowly returning. He coughed less, less blood came out, his eyes stayed open longer, food and water felt less coarse. He still felt horribly frail, like a strong enough gust could knock him over, and deep breaths still pained him, but when the doctor returned nearly a week and a half later, he said that he had recovered. Kazumi's first reaction was to wrap him up in a hug that nearly snapped him in half, and then make him swear he would never do something like that again. Kanbei was a bit more gentle, giving him a small pat on the shoulder and a few quiet words, while Motonari offered up a cheery smile along with a few congratulations. His partner nuzzled his cheek and accidentally shocked him in its excitement, but he didn't mind. Tadashi was glad to see he recovered as well, and observed it made Kazumi happy too. Hanbei got the hint.

The tactician spent the rest of the day recuperating his strength and reading over the battle plans Kanbei, Motonari and Kazumi came up with in his absence, and made note they'd be marching in a few days.

* * *

Night had fallen, and Kazumi felt she needed some space to think. The Warlord managed to sneak out of Chrysalia without attracting anyone's attention, immediately feeling a shiver run down her back and forearms as she was met with the cool night air.

"Winter's coming soon..." the brunette could see the condensation appearing in front of her as she muttered, but pushed aside the weather and slowly descended into the city below. The streets, though nowhere near the level of traffic they would reach during the day, were still busy and well lit even at such a late hour, letting her easily slip into the crowd. Weaving through the many citizens going on their various paths, she eventually came out of the bustling city and onto the hill-dotted plains that surrounded it. She glanced up at the clear sky above for a few seconds, staring on in awe at the stars before pulling her arms closer to her freezing frame and climbing up the hill ahead of her. The Warlord let out another frozen breath when she came to a stop, thoughts racing through her head while she looked back up at the sky.

"The stars are out tonight," Kazumi looked over her shoulder at the unexpected voice, catching a glimpse of her brother as he slowly ascended the hill she was on. The moonlight glinting off the gold of his helmet, and the quiet sound of his new cape flickering in the wind, would have given away his presence if the statement had not come first, and it was only a matter of seconds before he was standing by her side. She nodded, the corners of her lips shifting upwards by a hair and feeling a bit warmer with his presence nearby, and he continued after silence descended over them for a few uncomfortable seconds.

"It's like old times, huh?" the girl turned to look at Tadashi, who had allowed a small smile to creep onto his features. "Like when we were kids, back in Violight, and-"

"Uncle would have to send Dosetsu after us when we took too long," the female twin finished with a quite chuckle, wearing a smile that mimicked her sibling's.

"Yeah..." Tadashi's comment was wispy, eyes darting to the side for a second in contemplation while his smile evaporated. "Hey, Kazumi?"

"Yes?" Kazumi felt herself frowning when Tadashi's stance became pensive, gaze distant and eyes narrowed, before he finally broke the tense atmosphere.

"Did you ever think we'd get this far? Climb so high, go so far as to even challenge the likes of Kenshin and Shingen?" ironic, Kazumi fought, that she stepped out of the castle to clear her head, only to have more questions dumped on her. But she was one of the Warlords of Aurora, and technically the only 'active' one, and the girl felt obliged to give an answer. She had to.

"No," Kazumi shook her head, but a small smile managed to find its way back onto her face, sapphire orbs shifting from the sky above down to her counterpart. "I'm actually amazed we're still around after everything. After Hideyoshi, Motochika, Ginchiyo, Yoshihiro and more Hideyoshi, these past few months have just been one big battle."

"And we're stronger for it," Tadashi continued, voice becoming a bit lighter, stance a little less heavy. "You, me, Oichi... We'll work together to end all this fighting."

Kazumi decided to change the subject - in part for herself, and in part for her brother.

"How are you feeling, Tadashi?" the twin blinked, silvery eyes shifting over to her at the question.

"Hm?" Tadashi put a hand to his chin, lips pursing as he mulled over the question for a few seconds. "Fine, I guess."

A chuckle escaped the Warlor, a hand running through the side of his messy hair as he turned to face her. "Better than I have in a while, actually. Like a weight's been dropped off my shoulders."

Kazumi smiled back. Not one of the ones she was often forced to give, or one of the ones she found spread out upon her face at the prospect of being able to rest, but a genuine smile, one that wasn't weighted down by the burdens of a Warlord. "That's good to hear."

There was a small pause, and Tadashi broke it with a reply barely above a whisper. "Thank you."

"And what about you? After everything this past month, and now Hanbei-" Kazumi blinked at his unexpected question, and then quickly gave an answer.

"I'm fine, Tadashi," her tone sounded completely normal, but something in it felt off to the other twin. Rather than press, though, Tadashi only gave a resigned nod and pursed his lips.

"All right. Just... don't push yourself too hard, okay?" the Auroran turned to leave, his steps sounding louder than the howling wind to her. Kazumi opened her mouth, closed it again pensively, looking back at her retreating brother, before finally knitting her brow, frowning, and clearing her throat.

"Er, brother?" Tadashi stopped, casting a glance back over his shoulder and meeting her eyes. He knew on some level, but asked anyways.

"Yeah?"

"Could you stay? Just for a few moments?" the boy smiled, and it was one of his more carefree ones as well, and gave a nod before retracing his steps. Kazumi turned back around as Tadashi trudged back up the hill, giving him a small smile that spoke volumes before sitting down and looking back up at the sky. Tadashi joined her, the two quietly talking and letting their worries be blown away with the wind for a few, fleeting hours.

* * *

"Well, finally finished..." Ujiyasu muttered with a small smile, staring up at the massive structure that cast its shadow over him and everything else in the courtyard of Cragspur's rebuilt castle. The scarred Warlord then cast a look over his armored shoulder, eyes scanning over all the resting Pokémon and warriors who had absentmindedly shifted their attention to him. Part of the man felt like yelling at them to stop lazing around in the pleasant afternoon breeze and show some decorum, but Uijyasu decided they deserved their rest.

"We did good, everyone. Probably broke a few records and more than a few bones in the process, but we did it. No more sleeping in tents in the courtyard," he finished with a small smile, soliciting a few chuckles and more than a few sighs from the weary warriors. His smile grew a bit wider as he held up a bottle. "I think this calls for a toast!"

The Cragspurites let out a hearty cheer at the veteran Warlord's declaration, and within minutes were all letting out a robust 'To Cragspur' as they raised their glasses and simultaneously downed their drinks. Their celebrations then continued, the courtyard quickly being filled with the boisterous laughter of the warriors as they partied. Watching distantly, high above the clamor from his perch in one of the many trees in the courtyard, Hanzo remained completely unfazed at the sudden crowd as he observed his target move about. A few minutes of impassive watching went by as Ujiyasu continued to wander through the crowd, unaware of the ninja lurking above, but when Hanzo felt the air behind him shift, his head immediately shot up. He froze when he felt something metallic being pressed against his back while his assailant leaned in.

"Kunoichiwa, Hanzo," the ninja, in one of his rare moments of self-expression, allowed a sigh to escape his lips at the cheery voice.

"Kunoichi... You were not anticipated," Kunoichi giggled, and maintained her smirk as Greninja dropped in behind her, placing a Water Shuriken dangerously close to her neck. The Ninja Pokémon was taken off guard when Sneasel cupped one of its claws around Greninja's face and pulled the Pokémon back, the Water Type letting out a muffled cry in surprise. The Terreran's mischievous smirk grew a bit wider, and she pulled away the key she had been pressing into Hanzo's back, twirling it around a gloved finger as the ninja shot a quick glance over his shoulder. In what Kunoichi decided had to be a personal best for the ninja, he let out another sigh at the sight while Sneasel released its hold on Greninja.

"Explain yourself," Hanzo's voice was as much of a shadow as his presence, but Kunoichi heard the demand without any difficulty and folded her hands behind her head.

"Lord Shingen likes to keep tabs on everyone," the ninja didn't look convinced, and the brunette rolled her eyes and held up the key again. "And maybe I wanted to switch Kai's shampoo with dye, too."

Hanzo would have returned to his duty like there had been no interruption in the first place, but Kunoichi wasn't about to let him go so easily. "So, how's the spying going?"

In the dark, suppressed corners of his mind, Hanzo wondered how on earth the girl behind him had managed to become one of the most famed shinobi in Ransei before the age of twenty, let alone even become the head of Shingen's admittedly-formidable spy network. He was tempted to chide Kunoichi for her talkativeness, or just outright ignore the question, but decided that the sooner he answered, the sooner she would leave. "Watching him is... maddening. It is as if all he does is drink and fish..."

"Hey!" both shinobi froze at Ujiyasu's shouting, Kunoichi's eyes widening and Hanzo's lips curling into a scowl. It was then that both realized the Warlord of Cragspur was sitting at the base of the tree they were perched in, Gigalith and a half-empty bottle nearby, and pointing at the increasingly-boisterous crowd. "Put that down right now! We just rebuilt the castle, and I'm not gonna have you tear it up again!"

Both let out a pent-up breath as Ujiyasu leaned back against the tree, took a swig of his sake, and closed his eyes.

"Oh, and Hanzo," both Kunoichi and Hanzo froze at Ujiyasu's gruff voice. "Tell Ieyasu that, while I appreciate the surprise inspection, the next time I catch you sneaking around my castle, I'm sending you back without your mask."

Not even a second had passed after the Warlord of Cragspur finished his sentence that Hanzo and his partner quickly vanished into thin air. Kunoichi exchanged a nonchalant look with Sneasel, shrugged, and then dropped out of her perch and landed next to Ujiyasu. The greeting she got was muffled as Ujiyasu took another sip from his drink.

"The new castle looks nice," Kunoichi commented, eyes quickly scrutinizing the layout. Ujiyasu nodded in agreement, standing up, leaning against Gigalith's thick frame and throwing his cane over his shoulder.

"Yeah, it should stave off an attack this time. I do have a reputation to keep..." the Warlord's eyes then shifted from the towering keep and over to the ninja. "So, any news on why Aurora's suddenly got cold feet?"

"One of their tactician's sick," Kunoichi responded with a blithe smile that made him wonder whether she was happy at the news or found it cute. Ujiyasu decided he didn't care, and raised an eyebrow when he started thinking over Kunoichi's answer.

"Really?" she spun around and nodded.

"Yep, heard it myself," Kunoichi blinked when Ujiyasu put a hand to his chin and furrowed his brow. "Something wrong about that?"

The Warlord looked up and shook his head. "Not at all, I just find it..."

Ujiyasu cut himself off with a blink, and Kunoichi frowned confusedly as the man shook his head. "Eh, nothing."

The Terreran blinked, ran a hand through her ponytail, and then shrugged. "By the way, how'd you know Hanzo was up there?"

"You do remember that Kotaro was on my payroll, right? I've come to know when I'm being watched," Ujiyasu rolled his eyes at Kunoichi's expression. "Well, you might have given away _where_ exactly he was hiding, too."

Ujiyasu frowned when Kunoichi got a half-empty glass from one of the warriors in the crowd, the Warlord about to tell the girl that she was too young to be dinking before a better question entered his head. "So what are you doing here, exactly?"

Kunoichi swirled the glass in her hand and blinked. "Huh? Oh, I just wanted to see how the new castle looked."

"Hey-" both turned around as Kai walked up, the girl's attention quickly shifting to Kunoichi, who only chuckled disconcertedly when Kai's eyes narrowed and she took a step forward. "Kunoichi, you-"

"Well, I better get going," the ninja said quickly before Kai could finish her threat. Kunoichi took a step to the side, pretended to stumble, and the drink in her hand ended up all over Kai's head.

"Oops! Sorry, Princess Muscle," the Terreran said through her giggles, before vanishing in a sudden burst of smoke. Kai growled and clenched her fists, taking another step forward when the haze cleared.

"Princess Muscle!? That little-" the Cragspurite let out a deep breath and ran a hand through her ruined hair. "Ugh... Well, I'm going to wash off."

Ujiyasu watched the girl disappear back into the crowd with a heavy sigh, shook his head, and then sat back against the tree and picked up his drink.

* * *

Rather than head straight back to Terrera, though, Kunoichi decided to make a quick detour to the Rock Type Kingdom's northern neighbor. She snuck into Avia's Castle through the familiar hole in its walls - an architectural oversight, probably due to how hastily the castle had been reconstructed - and warily made her way through the courtyard. Sneasel reached up and tugged on her hand, pointing in the direction of a sleeping Masamune, leaning against the sole tree that had somehow managed to survive the flames. Kunoichi smirked, and slowly crept across the distance, until she was directly facing the Warlord. His helmet was discarded at the foot of the tree, eye closed, arms crossed, and lips set into a neutral line that made him look eerily calm.

Kunoichi only rubbed her hands together mischievously, like an evil mastermind silently plotting world domination while the corners of her own lips slowly curled upwards. Her Dual Type Partner looked up, an eyebrow arched in silent curiosity, and the ninja pulled a small canister off her belt.

"This is gonna be one of my best..." the brunette muttered as she pulled off the lid, sparing a quick glance around.

"No..." both warrior and Pokémon froze at the sudden command. Kunoichi's eyes darted back to her unwitting target, whose lips had curled downwards into a frown, hands clenching into fists and digging into his arms, and breath hitching. Kunochi didn't know what to make of the scene at first, but as Masamune began flinching in his sleep, muttering becoming more frantic and indistinguishable while a few beads of sweat started to collect on what little of his forehead that wasn't covered by his unkempt hair, Kunoichi felt her will slowly sap away. She let out a sigh and screwed the lid back onto the bottle of makeup, stepping to the side and snapping her fingers dangerously close to the Warlord's head before vanishing in a blur. Masamune's eye shot open and he let out a startled yelp as he threw himself off the tree, head darting around while he fumbled for his pistols.

His breathing slowed down when he saw no one else was in the courtyard with him, letting one arm fall to his side while another dabbed at his forehead. Forcing more air into his lungs, Masamune took another look around at his surroundings, retrieving his helmet when his eye landed on it. The Warlord quickly spun around when he heard footsteps, straightening his helmet and smoothing out the wrinkles in his jacket to make himself look halfway presentable to his two lieutenants.

"Report," his voice was somewhat strained, and both Magoichi and Kojuro picked up on how quickly and formally their lord had given his command, but neither said anything. Kojuro was the one to reply.

"Aurora looks like they shall be moving onto Terrera-Illusio soon," Masamune put a hand to his chin, one of the corners of his lips curling upwards ever-so-slightly. "Would you like us to begin preparations to march, my Lord?"

Masamune blinked, hands tightening as he looked back at Magoichi and Kojuro. "Yes."

Both warriors' eyes widened, as the question was really just asked out of formality, but Masamune paid them no heed and continued. "I want to make sure Aurora wins. If they clash, regardless of who wins or loses, Nobunaga will just march down and crush both of them, and then nothing will be able to stop his momentum."

"Do you really think we stand a chance against Kenshin and Shingen combined?" Masamune let out a 'tsk' and waved his hand dismissively in response to Magoichi's half-demand.

"Of course not, you imbecile!" the Avian's eye narrowed, while his lips curled into a small grin. "We simply need to soften them up. In 'Lord' Nobunaga's name, of course."

A flicker of recognition flashed across Kojuro's spectacle-covered eyes. "Ah. And if Aurora defeats Terrera-Illusio-"

Magoichi finished the man's thought. "Then they'll have a fighting chance against Nobunaga."

Masamune let out a low chuckle. "And then they'll move to 'liberate' the southeast from his rule."

By now, Kojuro had grown a smirk similar to Masamune's. "And we, being the faithful servants of Lord Nobunaga, shall reconquer it for him."

The mercenary Warlord frowned slightly, running a hand through the back of his spiky hair. "And what if Aurora decides to drop by here first?"

The tactician shook his head in response to Magoichi's question. "They would not risk it; Avia is the closest to Nobunaga's main army, and it would leave their flank too vulnerable once they move south. Cragspur or Yaksha will be the first to come under attack."

"And once the southwest is yours, what then?" Masamune's grin grew a bit wider, hands a bit tighter, eye a bit brighter.

"We make peace with the Aurorans, help them beat back Nobunaga, and then make our move once they're both deadlocked!" Magoichi didn't seem to share the young Avian's enthusiasm.

"You make it sound easy," the mercenary's comment earned him two glances, but he carried on. "What makes you think Nobunaga will just sit back and let you seize four kingdoms?"

Masamune's grin faltered for a split-second, but the determination glittering in his eye refused to dim, looking upwards at the wide, open sky that was just out of his reach as he replied. "He won't move."

Both Magoichi and Kojuro shared a confused glance, but it was the former who spoke, the edges of his lips curling downwards slightly as he began. "And what makes you say that?"

"I just know," the Warlord of Avia's reply was quick, forceful, and left no room to argue with. "I can list out all the reasons, but ultimately I have to rely on my gut. And I _know_. So get the troops ready, the sooner we leave, the better."

Kojuro and Magoichi both gave a curt bow before turning back towards the keep, while Masamune's head slowly drifted upwards.

"Once the dust settles, once all the fighting's over, then I'll be on top, and Ransei will be mine!" the teen's voice dropped to a level barely above a whisper. "But I won't stop there. I'll keep soaring higher and higher, and I'll make you proud..."

* * *

Kenshin's chambers in Illusio were very bare, containing little more than a sleeping mat, a small table with a few cushions, a rack where he kept his sword, and a small shrine at the end of the room. He did not need many luxuries, but one that the Warlord did enjoy was being able to sit down, talk idly, and have a drink with his partner once in a blue moon.

"And so-" the Warlord stopped his sentence when the Dual Type's head suddenly jerked to the sliding door, Kenshin slowly following his partner's gaze.

_"Shingen is coming,"_ the man nodded in acknowledgement. His partner's eyesight was never spectacular, not that Kenshin minded in the least, but after the Gallade's right eye had been gouged out during a duel some decades ago, the Pokémon had given up its vision entirely, preferring to see and feel the world through the fluctuating emotions and auras around it. Sometimes, when there were no battles to be fought, no lessons to be learned, no justice to be administered, Kenshin found himself idly thinking what it was like to see the world as the Psychic Type did. When the Warlord had been younger and more blunt, he once asked, and the reply he got was fittingly vague - 'I can see far more colors than before'.

Kenshin was jolted out of his thoughts when the door was slid open by one of the bulky silhouettes on the other side, and Shingen gave a small nod before entering, his partner close behind.

"Nemesis," the Warlord of Terrera grunted at the greeting, sitting down on the small, uncomfortable cushion Kenshin gestured too. The Illusite produced a spare cup, quickly filled it, and passed it to his new guest, while Rhyperior sat down quite loudly next to him. The red-clad man drank it down in a single gulp.

"Thanks," Shingen ran a hand over his lips before clearing his throat. "I'd thought you'd like to know that Masamune's on the march."

_"But that is not all,"_ it was not the first time Shingen had heard the Pokémon's voice, a much smoother contrast to Kenshin's almost gravel-like voice, echo throughout his head, but its suddenness still managed to take the Warlord off-guard for a few seconds before he could place its owner. The masked Warlord nodded.

"Yeah. To make matters worse, Aurora'll be marching soon," Kenshin hummed, glancing down at his half-empty glass, but it was clear for everyone to see that the news had done little to unsettle him.

"What would that boy have to gain from attacking us before the Aurorans?" Shingen tugged at the white strands of hair that clung to his shoulder.

"That's what I was thinking, and it's possible he made a secret pact with Aurora. I hear Motonari's working as their strategist, and I wouldn't put it past him to pull off something like this," Kenshin took another sip from his drink, slowly placing the glass back on the table while his near-perpetual half-scowl grew deeper.

"But why before?" the Blade Pokémon nodded.

_"I agree. It would be of greater advantage for Masamune if he attacked us after or during the battle with Aurora, and not before it,"_ the Pokémon stopped for a second, seeming to mull over its thoughts before continuing. _"The boy is many things; headstrong, foolhardy, overconfident... But he is not stupid. It is most likely he wants to expand his own powerbase through this, somehow."_

Shingen let out a sigh, and for a moment the Warlord of Illusio thought he saw the Terreran's eyes narrow behind his mask. "Well, ultimately, whether or not Masamune is being played, trying to play us, or playing into Nobunaga's hands, it doesn't change the fact that he'll be here soon. We'll need to be quick, but careful."

The Warlord's lips curled downwards into a frown, and his grip on his fan tightened. "I don't like this one bit."


	32. Chapter 32

Night was drawing near, having almost completely chased away the amber hues of the sun and replacing them with a deep blue, giving the Bug Type Kingdom below its final glimpse of daylight. Kazmi had decided to take a short walk around the courtyard with Takakage to enjoy the sunset while the Greenleafer went over a few final subjects pertaining to the battle. He seemed quite eager to do the job in lieu of Kanbei, whom she had given the day off to keep a better eye on Hanbei, and for the most part had handled his new duties with aplomb. The blond was happily listing off a few details from the papers in his hands, while she only paid sparing attention and provided the occasional nod, in part due to her confidence in his skills, the somewhat menial nature of the work, and just to make sure she didn't trip.

"And don't worry, milady, I've made sure everything's accounted for. We should be good to march first thing in the morning," the Auroran let a small grin cross her face as Takakage wrapped up.

"That's good to hear, it sounds like you've taken care of everything," the boy practically beamed at her praise, and though she thought he might be just a bit too impressionable in the back of her mind, she found the boy's smile infectious. "Thanks again for doing this on such short notice."

"Not at all, thanks for letting me-" the warrior cut himself when he caught something out of the corner of his eye, and his head quickly followed. Kazumi joined him to see Motonari sitting off in the distance with Serperior.

"That's odd," the Auroran would have been prone to dismiss the sight, but given that the Warlord of Greenleaf was doing absolutely nothing besides watching the sunset, part of her agreed.

"Doesn't your father usually go on to bed by now?" it was a rhetorical question, since the Warlord was normally the first up he was usually the second to retire, and Takakage only nodded in response before furrowing his brow.

"Should we?" Kazumi frowned, running her fingers through her ponytail.

"I don't know, maybe he just wants some time to himself?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind the company," both stopped at the unexpected voice, and then realized they might not have been as quiet as they thought they were. Motonari was leaning against the back of the bench he and Serperior were on, the man slinging an arm over the end as he looked back at them, while the Pokémon draped its serpentine body across the length of it. Kazumi and Takakage made the short trek over to the small alcove the older man was relaxing in, providing a perfect view of the sunset to those in it. The lanky Grass Type shifted a bit to give room for the two newcomers on the bench, Takakage and Kazumi each taking their place and joining Motonari in his gazing. A few more seconds of uncomfortable silence followed, and both came to the conclusion that they still didn't really understand what the Warlord saw.

"Um, father?" Motonari blinked and looked down at his son.

"Yes?" Kazumi could tell Takakage was not comfortable with questioning his father, but he still voiced the question that both youths were thinking.

"What exactly are you doing?" the Greenleafer leaned back against the bench again, gaze becoming a bit more distant as he gave his reply.

"I... just wanted to watch the sun set on this era," both blinked, silently demanding an explanation, and the strategist chuckled uneasily and ran a hand through the back of his head. Serperior was the one to sigh.

"Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself," Motonari muttered before turning back to the two. "As both of you know, the situation is in Ransei is nearing its pivotal moment."

They nodded without hesitation, and, encouraged, the mossy man continued. "Kenshin and Shingen have managed to keep Nobunaga in check for a while now, but with their only hope of expansion dashed, they are essentially cornered. If one of them were to fall, or even falter, then it would only be a matter of time before the other would. Our actions tomorrow; the outcome of the battle and whether or not we can win them over to our side, will determine if Ransei enters the age of Aurora or the age of Dragnor."

Motonari caught the looks that had crossed both Kazumi and Takakage's faces out of the corner of his eye, but he continued. "Every action has a reaction, and battles are a mass of actions."

The man's voice became bit lighter, eyes a bit more distance, face a bit more firm. "Echoes; screaming across the region, touching so many lives and creating others before finally bounding to their source..."

Neither Takakage or Kazumi knew what to make of his final utterance, and the Auroran settled for coughing into her hand uncomfortably. "Welp, I'll sleep easy tonight knowing the fate of an entire region rests on our shoulders."

Motonari chuckled lightheartedly, and he showed no signs of his previous disposition as he replied to the girl. "Well, it could be worse."

Kazumi blinked, crossing her arms, while Takakage only smiled when he realized where his father was going. "How?"

"It could be the whole world," the strategist joked lightly, running a hand through the back of his grassy hair. The Auroran smiled and joined in with his light chuckling before standing.

"Goodnight, Motonari."

"Goodnight," the man returned as the Warlord took her leave, having given a small bow before disappearing back into the keep. Takakage followed her path a few minutes later, but not before asking if there was anything he could do for him. Motonari just smiled and told his son to get some rest. With both youths gone, Serperior reassumed its prior position draped across the bench, leaning its head against the cold stone. Motonari ran a hand over the Pokémon's snout, smiling faintly before returning his attention to the rapidly fading sun. A breath managed to escape him as his features settled back into a more contemplative visage.

"All that remains unsaid..."

* * *

"Brave Bird! CHARGE!" Masamune's voice rang out from the skies above Illusio's borders, Magoichi looking up above as Braviary was engulfed in a wave of blue flames, shooting across the sky and leading the way for the other fliers above.

"Eyes forward!" Magoichi sighed and turned his attention back to the battle ahead at Kojuro's command, joining the tactician in calling out commands against the advancing Terreran warriors. They were holding the line for now, mainly skirting around any prolonged engagements with Terrera-Illusio's main force in a thinly-veiled attempt to buy Masamune time to raid their camp, striking out when necessary to draw the enemy further away, but falling back before they could unleash a barrage of Rock Type attacks on them. The mercenary's collected façade broke down in the face of a frown for a few seconds, watching as a couple of nearby warriors and their partners were forced to retreat in the face of a counterattack.

Magoichi was by no means an honorable man, as anyone around him for a prolonged period of time would be quick to find out, but he did have standards. Watching allies and friends fighting and suffering in what everyone knew was a suicide mission did not sit well with him, especially given the fact Masamune not only knew the odds, but actually wanted to delay their opponents for as long as possible. And this was Shignen and Kenshin they were going up against; the mercenary considered it a miracle their lines were still intact this long into the battle.

As if fate had read his thoughts and decided to play a cruel joke on him, Magoichi heard a low rumbling over the din of battle, coming off in the distance from behind Terrera's vanguard. And it was growing, fast. Seconds later, the Ground Type Kingdom's feared cavalry charged through a hastily made gap in their ranks, Shingen himself at the front.

"Flare Blitz!" the sight of a dozen of so Rapidash being engulfed in flames at the command, all of them galloping straight at them, struck more than just a little fear into Magoichi. He did better than most of the warriors around him, though, and stood his ground while they broke and ran in a vain attempt to outrun the Fire Types, and kept his internal panic limited to a grimace as he looked out for his one chance. Magoichi risked a second to glance over to Kojuro, the tactician having been forced a good distance away due to the flow of the battle, and saw that the Avian had already ordered his partner to prepare a Dragon Tail. Magoichi took a few long steps to the side, trying to get as far away from Shingen and the center of the charge as possible, and all it took was a blink before they were only a foot or so away from trampling him.

"Leaf Blade! Go for the legs!" Grovyle slashed out at last minute, Magoichi jumping back to further distance himself, and the Pokémon managed to take out the Rapidash on the end before quickly retracting its arms and hissing in pain at the heat. The Fire Horse Pokémon whined as it tripped forward, sending its startled partner flying off its back, while Magoichi saw that Kojuro's Dragonair had managed to snag two of the Pokémon. But both knew their accomplishments were nothing more than conciliatory; the loss of a few warriors on the wings did little to stop Shingen's charge, blazing through Avia's warriors and turning the battle into a complete rout.

A few words escaped Magoichi as he lost sight of the tactician in the panic, even more warriors charging in behind Shingen to take full advantage of the retreat. He took a glance down at his partner, the Pokémon rubbing one of its arm-leaves - singed, like many other places across the Pokémon's body that had not been cut or bruised in the fight - and decided he needed to retreat himself before his route was completely cut off.

As if fate had it out for him today, a few very bulky steps echoed out from behind the mercenary. The Warlord turned around slowly, uneasily, Grovyle dropping into another battle stance, and came face to face with a particularly grizzled-looking Rhyperior. Magoichi's first instinct, knowing full well Grovyle didn't stand a chance against Shingen's partner beyond delivering a few cursory blows, was to take a few steps back and put as much distance between him, Grovyle, and it as possible before bolting. He only managed to take one small step back before the hulking Pokémon's eyes narrowed, as if silently saying 'Go ahead; try it. Make my day'.

"SUPERPOWER!" the screamed command drew away Rhyperior's attention for a split-second, Magoichi spending half of it letting out a pent up breath and silently thanking Masamune for his timing before quickly calling out a command.

"Mega Drain, don't stay close!" Grovyle lurched forward, pointed arms extended and aimed for the Drill Pokémon's neck. Rhyperior just swung one of its bulky arms out and swatted the Grass Type aside, turning around and preparing a Rock Wrecker just in time to get a glimpse of Braviary before the Flying Type crashed into it. Grovyle used the few seconds that the Dual Type was unbalanced to lunge forward again, claws stabbing into the Pokémon's thick body and sapping away its energy. Rhyperior pulled its arm back in preparation for what Magoichi could tell was a Fire Punch, and Grovyle barely had enough time to bounce off its opponent before the attack came crashing down, sending sand and embers flying when it was met with only thin air.

Magoichi caught Braviary circling around out of his periphery vision, preparing to swoop down again, and whistled sharply. Grovyle quickly returned to his side, Magoichi taking a few steps back while Rhyperior was occupied with digging its arm out of the sand. Masamune's booming voice stopped all of them in their tracks. "Kenshin's defeated! We've done what we came here to do; fall back!"

The effect was immediate; Rhyperior froze and jerked his head upwards in shock, and Magoichi didn't need to look around the battlefield to realize that most of the Terrera-Illusio warriors had a similar reaction.

"What!?"

"Lord Kenshin defeated!?" in the few precious seconds Masamune's declaration had bought them, Avia's army had continued its retreat, while the Warlord of Avia finally swooped down to his lieutenant. Magoichi winced when the Valiant Pokémon's talons dug into his shoulders, lifting him up while Grovyle held onto his knee for dear life as Masamune pulled them away from the battlefield. It only took a few seconds for Shingen's shouts to reach their ears.

"Keep calm, it's only a ruse! There's no way a brat like him could ever defeat Kenshin!" the warriors resumed their pursuit after that, but Avia's army had managed to put enough distance between the two that Magoichi, still dangling from Braviary's talons like a piece of food being dragged back to a predator's nest, saw them give up the chase and turn back minutes later. The mercenary could only hope that the sacrifices in this battle would be worth it, that Masamune's plan would work, as vast skies of Avia came into sight.

* * *

"So, how long do you think until they get here?" Tadashi's voice echoed against the empty and decrepit walls of the old shrine Aurora's army had found themselves in. It stood out like a sore thumb against the bleakness of the plains between Terrera and Illusio, the sea of short, half-dead grass serving as an impromptu border between Illusio's snowcapped mountains and Terrera's harsh deserts, and the interior of the structure seemed to be a perfect match for the terrain surrounding it.

"Muneshige said they're an hour out, tops," Kazumi's voice was a bit lower as they proceeded down the dusty hallway, the light from the entrance casting its long shadow over their path.

"We'd better hurry then. Every second is precious," Hanbei had lost his usual lighthearted tone, stifling a yawn as they made their way into the back room. The air in it was mustier than in the entrance, a thin layer of dust covering the floor, which, combined with the lack of light, made the empty room all the more stifling. Hanbei moved to the side, noticing a few streams of light falling into the room from a closed up window. The shutters covering it were opened seconds later, filling the room with light and sending dust that had been collecting on them for who-knows-how-long flying, and the first thing the gathered Warlords noticed were the white lines snaking across the floor. Tadashi leaned down to get a better look.

"Is this a battlefield?"

"It would appear to be so," Motonari strode around the edges of the rectangle, peering down at them like there was some secret hidden beneath them, before a look of realization finally crossed his face. He stood up straight with a small chuckle, running a hand through the back of his hair. "I believe we're using Kenshin and Shingen's old dueling grounds as our command center."

"With that matter settled," Kanbei's crisp voice cut through the thick atmosphere. "We should get underway. Every moment that passes idly is wasted."

"Right," Kazumi turned to a barren, crumbling altar tucked away towards the end of the room, producing a scroll and spreading it out across it, the ends dangling off the edges of the wood. The others followed closely, eyes immediately scanning over the paper as Kazumi placed a slim finger down on the map. "Hanbei and Kanbei will stay with me here, while Tadashi will lead-"

"What?" the girl looked over at her twin when his objection rang out, the corners of her lips twitching for a second before answering.

"We've pooled together our entire army, but this isn't Yoshihiro we're going up against; we can't rely on Kenshin and Shingen to just blindly charge us without any concern for tactics. And having both of us on the front lines will give them the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone," while not the most comforting of analogies, it clearly got the point across as Tadashi's only reply was a silent nod. He told himself he had to trust in her judgment. Kazumi continued going over the plan from there, but it was only a few minutes in before Muneshige rushed in and gave a hurried bow.

"My lord, my lady, we've spotted the enemy," the Violighter's comment drew everybody's attention.

"What!?" Tadashi grimaced, crossing his arms. "Illusio must have teleported ahead, try to throw us off balance with an ambush."

The Warlord then ran past Muneshige, the flickering sounds of his cape being the only signs he was still within earshot when Kazumi called out for him to stop. All she could do was sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose after he was gone. "Brother..."

"I will see to it that the plan is carried out," Kazumi nodded absentmindedly and Motonari took his leave, followed by Takakage and Muneshige. The girl sat down against the edge of the wall, placing an elbow on the table and rubbing her forehead, letting the back of her head hit the wood as she closed her eyes. Her hair was frayed, clothes wrinkled, eyes heavy and stance shaky. In Hanbei's eyes, she looked exhausted.

"Tired?" it took her a few seconds to reply, shifting over before cracking an eye open.

"Uh-huh..." Kazumi managed to push herself up with another yawn, rubbing one of her eyes and slowly getting back up. Kazumi blinked a few times, blue orbs darting across the room while she stretched her arms. Hanbei thought he heard something pop.

"Sorry," she commented, and even her voice oozed tiredness. In the back of his mind, the tactician found himself impressed out how well she had masked her own exhaustion a few moments ago, but concern overrode everything else. He took a small step forwards, but the Auroran didn't seem to notice. "I'm just not used to doing this without Tadashi's help."

Hanbei nodded, knowing it would be better not to bring up the topic now, and turned back towards the entrance. "I just hope they don't run into that nut..."

Kanbei raised an eyebrow, pale lips narrowing into a thin line. "Nut?"

The tactician in white crossed his arms, large sleeves concealing his hands while he steeled his gaze. "Yeah, word is that some loon joined up with Illusio. Crazy hair, crazy eyes, crazy strong..."

"He attacked Muneshige's party alone when they were out scouting, saying he wanted a challenge," the albino turned over to the Auroran as she continued, features becoming a bit more graven. "Muneshige was the only one whose partner wasn't knocked out cold."

Kanbei let out a breath, sounding like something between a chuckle and a sigh. "Even so, he will be the least of our problems. Their main force is bound to arrive soon."

* * *

"Report!" Tadashi practically screamed as he ran out of the building, ducking to avoid getting hit in the face by a stray Psybeam. His silvery eyes ran over the battlefield; warriors and Pokémon on both sides were running about, Pyschic Type Attacks flying while warriors he managed to recognize scrambled to offer up some organized resistance. He caught Ginchiyo running over to him out of the corner of his eyes, the Violighter shouting out commands over her shoulder, quick bursts of electricity following, before finally reaching his side.

"They teleported into the middle of the camp," she choked out, voice hoarse from shouting. "We didn't have time to react, and they destroyed the barricades too."

Tadashi let a scowl cross his face at the news. Terrera's cavalry was the most formidable in Ransei; and naturally would be one of their greatest assets in the battle. To counter that, Kazumi had ordered a series of barricades and stakes to be constructed across the field to, at best, funnel their cavalry into chokepoints where they could easily be picked off at range, or, at worst, simply slow down their momentum enough to outmaneuver them. It was an idea that was enthusiastically received by Hanbei, Kanbei and Motonari, and they had marched as quickly as possible to buy as more time to set up the defenses, but the failure to anticipate that Illusio would simply teleport ahead and launch a raid had now left them defenseless. And if this skirmish dragged on long enough, it would turn into the actual battle. Only a few minutes in and the scales were already tilting against them.

"We'd better hurry, then," both turned to see Motonari descending the steps leading into the shrine calmly as another wayward attack nearly took off his hat, a relaxed-looking Muneshige and clearly unsettled Takakage following. "I'll go try to rally the men. My lord, I would recommend trying to stay out of harm's way."

"Would being the operative word," the blond muttered quickly before trailing after his father, both disappearing into the fray seconds later.

"I'll drum up what I can and try to flank them," Muneshige disappeared shortly after that, leaving the two on their own again. The Warlord of Aurora opened his mouth, quickly sidestepped another stray attack, and then turned his attention back to the battle.

"I can't just sit back, not again," Ginchiyo only raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't Motonari just 'recommend' you stay put?" Tadashi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the coarse ground crunching underneath his boots as he took a small step forward.

"I'm the Warlord; I should be out there fighting alongside them," his lips curled upwards slightly, and there was a cunningness to it that looked out of place on him. "Besides; they'll probably try taking me out regardless. So let's give them what they want."

He spared a small glance over to her, catching the shadow of a smirk flit across her lips before fading away, and within seconds Tadashi charged into the fray, Ginchiyo close behind. Eevee lunged off its place on his shoulder, clamping its maw down on a nearby Munna at his command while Luxio electrocuted two other Psychic Types whose partners were confident in their numerical superiority. The two fought their way through the melee, carving a path straight into the heart of the conflict until a voice that sounded vaguely familiar to the Warlord called out to him.

"Hey, Tadashi! Long time no see!" Tadashi turned around, the Violighter following once her opponent retreated, and Tadashi's eyes widened when he caught sight of a mass of unkempt blond hair stepping out of the crowd around him, a Bastiodon slowly lumbering its way around his large frame.

"Keiji!?" Tadashi's lips twitched at the question he was about to ask. "What are you doing here?"

Keiji just smiled aloofly, scratching his temple as he replied. "Ah, funny story; I was passing through Illusio, and then I ran into this lady with this really creepy smile, but she offered to let me stay in the castle for the night and made then she made me the best meal I've ever had in my life..."

Kanetsugu's sudden appearance next to the massive warrior, the horns of his helmet barely reaching past the older man's neck, confirmed Tadashi's fears. The Illusite, though, only shook his head with what looked like to be an amount of exasperation.

"We really do have a madman in our ranks..." Kenshin's apprentice failed to notice a certain Warlord was standing behind him, smile and all.

"What was that Kanetsugu?" Kanetsugu froze, snapping to attention with a look of absolute terror written across his face. Tadashi could only blink in disbelief. Keiji just grinned.

"N-Nothing, Lady Aya!" the white-clad warrior turned stiffly to look up at the drifter, whose smile refused to fade away. "Keiji, fraternizing with the enemy on the battlefield is dishonorable. Focus on what we came here to do,"

"Right..." Keiji turned to look back at Tadashi and Ginchiyo, both taking a few steps back while their partners dropped into battle stances.

"Sorry 'bout this, but bossman's right. Use Iron Head," he threw out an arm in the direction of Tadashi's Eevee, and Bastiodon let out an ear-splitting roar before charging forward.

"Dig, quickly!"

"Thunderbolt!" Luxio let our a roar of its own before slamming its forepaws into the ground, sending an arc of electricity flying towards Bastiodon. The Pokémon took the attack and kept on charging at a speed that seemed impossible for its type, Eevee barely managing to escape underground before the Iron Head could connect.

"Use Psybeam Kadabra, and show them our righteousness!" the Pyschic Type conjured up a familiar purple beam of telekinetic energy at Kanetsugu's command, the attack slamming into Luxio before Ginchiyo had a chance to order a counterattack. The Evolution Pokémon took the chance to launch itself out of the ground, only a few feet away from where it had originally dug the tunnel, and slammed into Bastiodon's underside. All Tadashi and the Normal Type had to show for their efforts was Keiji's partner stumbling over to the side for a second, letting out a grunt as it steadied itself, and the Evolution Pokémon grasping its head with its forepaws in pain.

"Icy Wind, Froslass," despite the fact it was said quite clearly, there was something about Aya's voice that made Tadashi almost miss the command. His eyes looked around in the split-second after the attack, trying to spot the Pokémon, only for the Dual Type to simply materialize a few feet away from Eevee and Luxio. Froslass spread out its cloak-like arms, conjuring up a blizzard that flew out and engulfed both Pokémon in its bitter embrace.

"Escape with Dig!"

"Use Charge, Luxio!" Eevee burrowed underground enthusiastically, happy to get away from the miniature snowstorm, while Luxio began storing up electricity in its fur. The Spark Pokémon, with its fur on end and a current of electricity darting across its body, was able to weather the icy onslaught better, but the same couldn't be said for the Iron Head it received from Bastiodon. Eevee lunged out of the ground again, this time being careful to aim for the Shield Pokémon's less armored side. The Dual Type was thrown off balance again, letting out another grunt as it slammed its bulky feet back into the ground, but still showed no signs of having received any real damage. To make matters worse, Eevee's small victory proved short-lived as Kadabra knocked it back to the Auroran's feet with another Psybeam. Tadashi and Ginchiyo exchanged glances while Froslass let its attack die down, both realizing they would need to come up with something, and quick.

"Hammer Arm!" the command surprised everyone present, and neither side had any time to process what happened before Conkeldurr slammed one of its pillars down on Bastiodon's back, knocking the Pokémon into the ground. The Shield Pokémon cried out this time, cringing as it looked up at Yoshihiro's partner before pushing one of its feet into the dirt. Stones flew up in what Tadashi could only assume was an Ancient Power, knocking Conkeldurr back long enough for Bastiodon to push itself out of the ground and lumber over to Keiji's side. The warrior was grinning, eyes having turned over to Yoshihiro. Yoshihiro's expression was similar, arms crossed and a small smirk having broken out underneath his moustache as he seized up Keiji. The blond was the first to break the silence.

"Now _this_ is a fight! Iron Defense, Bastiodon!"

"Heh... Let's show him how good defense is against Superpower, Conkeldurr!" As Conkeldurr rushed forward to square off against Keiji and Bastiodon, Tadashi turned back to Ginchiyo, pointing at the bony Psychic Type across the battlefield, and then looked back at his fatigued partner after getting a curt nod.

"Quick Attack and Bite!"

"Spark!" Eevee rushed forward in a blur of white, headed directly at Aya's partner, only to charge straight through where Froslass had been floating as the Dual Type faded away. Tadashi redircted his pointed arm to Kanetsugu and his partner, the latter having teleported out of Luxio's reach last-minute. Eevee lunged forward again, mouth open, too close to Kadabra to give Kanetsugu the chance to pull it back. Instead, Aya had Froslass rematerialize to the side, unleashing another icy barrage on the Evolution Pokémon and knocking it away from the Psi Pokémon right before the attack managed to connect. Froslass' reappearance left it vulnerable, though, and Ginchiyo wasted no time in shouting out for another Thunderbolt, tone screaming necessity, and the large arc of lightning connected before the Snow Land Pokémon could fade back into the shadows.

Kanetsugu retaliated by ordering out another Psybeam on Ginchiyo's partner, voice filled with even more zeal than normal, only for the attack to be absorbed by a stray rock from an Ancient Power that spilled out from Keiji and Yoshihiro's duel. Tadashi wasted no time in having Eevee take advantage of the split-second distraction to tackle Kadabra again, the Normal Type latching its maw down on the bony arm of the Psychic Type. Kadabra cried out, immediately dropping the Reflect it had been in the middle of creating. Ginchiyo's lips curled upwards, and she took a step forward.

"Now! Finish this with Spark!" Froslass recovered from the Thunderbolt too late to come to Kadabra's rescue this time. Eevee swung itself over the Psi Pokémon's arm, kicking it in the face before jumping away, just in time for Luxio to tackle the Pokémon in a blur of sparks and electricity. Kadabra was sent sprawling backwards across the field, somehow managing to push itself back upright to everyone's amazement and Kanetsugu's relief, while Froslass rushed forwards. It stopped short of Luxio, who wheeled around just in time to watch the Dual Type unleash a Confuse Ray, the ghostly orb of energy quickly encircling the Spark Pokémon before it could react.

Keiji and Yoshihiro's duel spilled over into their battle again, Bastiodon having held out quite well against Conkeldurr due to a series of well timed counterattacks alternating between Iron Defense, but ultimately having been slowly pushed back as well. The latest Superpower the Fighting Type sent the way of the Shield Pokémon had caught it off guard, sending Bastiodon skidding backwards to Keiji. It was plain for Tadashi to see that both combatants were completely exhausted, if their ragged breathing and wounds were any indication, and though Conkeldurr had a double type advantage and resistance to Bastiodon's attacks, the Warlord suspected that the Pokémon had overexerted itself with Superpower and Hammer Arm, while Keiji had Bastiodon use Iron Defense to further even out the odds. Both sides were evenly matched, that much was obvious, and it only made him all the more grateful that Yoshihiro intervened when he did, even if the thought caused bile to rise up in the back of his throat.

Apparently, Aya had came to the same conclusion. Froslass rematerialized by her side, and the cloaked woman turned to the other Illusite. "Kanetsugu."

Her tone was heavier than previously, carrying a weight to it that dictated a silent command, and Kanetsugu gave a quick nod before shifting his focus down to his struggling partner. "Of course, Lady Aya. Kadabra."

The Psi Pokémon nodded, eyes flashing a light blue before it shot a Psybeam into the air. Tadashi's eyes darted back from the attack to the trio and their partners, catching a short glimpse of them before the exhausted Pokémon teleported them a few feet away from the battle. They were soon followed by the other Illusio warriors, forming a small group away from the confused Aurorans before fully teleporting away. It took a few seconds for everyone to realize that the battle was over.

"If they're retreating," Tadashi leaned down to pick up his tired partner, the Pokémon scampering up his arm and onto his shoulder. "Then that means Shingen and Kenshin are close. We don't have much time."

He then turned to the Violighter, who was still overlooking the battlefield. "Try to take stock of the situation; place the injured near the back. I'll go try to salvage what we can from the barricades."

Ginchiyo nodded, giving a quiet acknowledgement before turning back into the crowd with her partner in tow. Tadashi took a step forward, stopped, gave a curt nod in Yoshihiro's general direction with pursed lips that belied the begrudging nature of the act, and quickly disappeared into the mass of warriors.

* * *

"I thought that lad of yours said he took out their defenses," Shingen muttered, eyes squinting against the glare of the sun.

"We permitted them more time to prepare than we should have," came Kenshin's gravelly reply from the left. The Warlord of Terrera nodded, lowering his hand and rolling his shoulders.

"Eh, the raid still did its job. It doesn't look like they're in the best shape now," Shingen craned his neck, looking back at the army arrayed behind them, slowly fanning out and waiting for their orders. His eyes shifted over to the man in white. "We keep to the plan; defeat the twins, draw away Motonari and encircle them."

The red-clad man looked back to the front, to the flimsy barricades Aurora had managed to build in front of the all-too familiar shrine - and Shingen wondered for a second if that was their attempt at a taunt - and the nervous warriors peering over and around them, a few brave souls and their partners protecting their exposed flanks. He raised his signature fan into the air and lowered it. "Vanguard advance! Bait the trap, draw their attention and pincer them!"

The first line of cavalry behind the two Warlords thundered forward, the sounds of hooves echoing across the field like an impending earthquake, and Shingen could practically feel the anxiety radiating off of Aurora's warriors. He turned back and motioned for another group of warriors to sneak around their barricades as the vanguard inched even closer, the warriors ordering out attacks such as Flame Wheel and Flare Blitz as they winded through the stakes and into the layered palisades or broke off and began riding around them. The defenders closest rushed to contain them, as the riders lost their momentum when they slowed down to steer through the maze of logs, other defenders further away having their partners unleash barrage after barrage of Water Type attacks from behind the second line of palisades. Shingen let a small smirk cross his face as he watched the breakaways crash into the Aurorans from behind before turning towards the Warlord next to him.

"Time for me to go; I'll draw their attention as much possible," Kenshin's only response was a silent nod, the man's expression as stoic as ever, and Shingen turned back towards the last of the cavalry behind him - his handpicked guard.

"Let's go!" the Terreran's fan swung out again, and he snapped the reins, taking off across the field, followed by the thundering hooves of a dozen or so more Rapidash. Kenshin watched them disappear into the cloud of dust they kicked up before turning back to the rest of the army; Shingen's Rhyperior and every other warrior who wasn't mounted. He made a few gestures in the direction of the two junior Warlords on both sides of the army, Yukimura giving a nod and Kanetsugu a bow before directing their warriors to follow them as they took off, leaving Kenshin to lead the rest of the army in their silent march across the barren field.

From his place behind the second line of barricades, which had been rebuilt a bit closer to the small hill the shrine sat atop of to give a better view of the battlefield, Tadashi let a small smile cross his face as he watched Shingen's elite cavalry charge across the field. They were riding strait for the gap that the vanguard had managed to create after slowly pushing back the warriors from Pugilis, who were frantically fighting to close it up. He turned to Dosetsu, saying nothing and only giving a determined nod to the retired Warlord. The greying man caught the motion out of the corner of his eye, but kept his own gaze firmly fixed on the battle folding out below.

"Use Rain Dance, Luxray," the Gleam Eyes Pokémon slammed its forepaws into the ground, raising its head and letting out a proud roar. The sky was quickly filled with dark clouds blotting out the harsh sunlight, a small drizzle gradually turning into a fierce downpour that assaulted everyone underneath.

"Now, Motochika!" the Warlord of Fontaine smirked at the Auroran's command, him and his warriors joining in on the downpour with another barrage of Water Type Attacks, further dousing the attackers and soaking their partners as they continued to push their way through. Fire Types cried out as more and more water hit them, steam rising off the fiery manes of Rapidash and Ponyta and barricades that had been set alight in the melee, while warriors cringed from the stinging downpour and bursts of water. The warriors of Pugilis realized that was their cue to fall back, and it was only seconds afterwards that arcs of electricity shot out from the hill, a salvo descending down on the confused and panicking Terrerans. The heavy rain and spare water only served to conduct the attacks even more, and the quagmire that had once been a field made it all the more difficult to get out of the way of the barrage in time. Tadashi's grin evaporated when he saw that none of that managed to faze Shingen or slow down his advance in the slightest, even as his vanguard was scattering right before his eyes.

Even over the sounds of heavy raindrops splashing against the earth and the sounds of the dying battle, Tadashi could still make out Shingen shouting something, the entire cavalry he was leading becoming enveloped in a fiery haze seconds later. He grimaced as they drew nearer, no one close enough to stop them from charging straight through one of the weakened palisades, sending flaming chunks of what used to be logs flying in all directions and opening up a path for them to charge straight ahead into Aurora's loose ranks. The co-Warlord of Aurora turned to Motonari, ignoring the icy sting of his soaked clothes against his flesh, and Greenleafer could only let out a pent-up breath and glance downwards in something that resembled disappointment.

"We're lucky it was as effective as it was," Motonari's voice seemed to fade away into the clamor around him, but he still captured everyone's attention as he turned to look at the young woman standing next to him, the violet of her armor having gained an almost purplish tint thanks to the rain. Ginchiyo met his gaze, silently being taken aback for a second at the seriousness in it. If the strategist noticed her muted reaction - and she was certain he had managed to detect the small quirks that hinted at it - he said nothing of it. "I suppose we'll have to fall back to our backup."

The brunette nodded and turned, the two making their way down to Motochika's division at the base of the hill. Tadashi turned to Dosetsu, quickly ordered him to take over, and gave chase. He arrived at their side just in time to see Shingen's cavalry charge through the scattered Pugilites and rush straight at them. Motonari threw an arm over his eyes, and the twin immediately knew what was coming next.

"Now, Ginchiyo!"

"Flash!" Shingen only had a second to react before Luxio generated the blinding burst of light.

"Shield your eyes, men!" it was too late for most of the Terrerans. Luxio roared out and the immediate area became engulfed in a strong flash. Some of the warriors stopped their charge, others steered away or were even thrown off by their startled and half-blind partners. Only Shingen and the handful of warriors closest to him managed to keep up their advance, but even they had to slow down significantly. A small smile crept up on Motonari's face at how quickly Shingen's charge had been brought to a halt, and he held out a gloved hand in the direction of their broken formation.

"Motochika, if you would," the Warlord of Fontaine smiled, brushing a few strands of hair to the side.

"With pleasure. Charge!" the warriors from the Water Type Kingdom surged forward, quickly surrounding the riders and keeping them from reforming, while Yoshihiro began rallying his own troops to launch a counterattack. Combined with the fact that the main body of Terrera-Illusio's army had just arrived, the battle began in full swing. Motonari and Ginchiyo soon disappeared into the crowd, but before Tadashi could go join the fray, Shingen managed to fight his way out of the cordon of warriors surrounding him and rode up to the twin. Eevee dropped down from his shoulder, and the brunette tensed up as he met the older man's gaze.

"We've defeated you twice already," while calling the skirmish fought only a few hours earlier a victory might have been pushing it a bit, the Auroran suspected he needed some reassurance that he could stand a chance against the Warlord. Shingen huffed, and for a moment Tadashi wondered in the back of his mind if he had just caught Shingen rolling his eyes.

"Congratulations; you defeated an expeditionary force led by three kids. Now you get to fight us," their battle started immediately after, and it became quickly apparent to the Warlord that he and Eevee were hopelessly outclassed. Only a combination of the rain weakening many of Rapidash's attacks and Eevee being able to flee underground bought the two enough time for Motonari and Serperior to work their way back to them, forcing Shingen to retreat after a few unexpected attacks managed to hit. Motonari watched him ride back into the crowd, only distinguishable by the soaked mess his hair had become, before turning over to the Auroran.

"Forgive me for my tardiness, Lord Tadashi, but have you seen any signs of Kenshin?" the co-Warlord managed to raise an eyebrow, shaking off a bit of the loose water as the rain began to die down.

"No," what little hope had been on Motonari's face when he asked the question quickly evaporated, and he put a hand to his chin, a finger tapping against his jawline.

"You haven't?" the Greenleafer looked down at the ground, and then his gaze slowly rose up to the hill above, face dropping. "Then that could mean..."

"Quickly!" that was the only warning Tadashi got before Motonari bolted off, Serperior close behind. Yukimura arrived before he could follow, Charmeleon shooting out a Dragon Rage at his partner. Tadashi scowled.

* * *

The battlefield was becoming even more chaotic with every passing second. Pokémon clashed against Pokémon, attacks and shouts flew overhead, warriors weaved through the melee as the situation demanded only to end up getting attacked by someone else, defeated warriors tried to pull their partners and comrades away from the battlefield which only added to the confusion, and the muddy ground that had once been the plains made it all the more difficult to keep a steady footing. This was one of the worst battlefields that Ginchiyo had been on.

But even so, she and Luxio pushed through.

She shouted out attacks as they met more and more of their opponents, gradually pushing them back and overcoming them - and there was very little a Thunderbolt couldn't solve, after all - until finally she had carved enough of a path through their ranks that Kanetsugu deemed it necessary to intervene in her rampage. The white-clad warrior teleported only a few feet away from her, but Ginchiyo's only reaction was to step forward and order Luxio to jump and avoid the Psybeam he had ordered at the same time. Kanetsugu had no choice but to stumble back, while his partner - still clearly feeling the effects of the previous battle - had only a few seconds to teleport away before Luxio came crashing down on it with a Spark.

"Spark again!"

"Reflect!" Luxio rushed forward once more, but this time Kadabra was able to bring up the wall-like barrier before the attack could connect. The Spark Pokémon bounced off it harmlessly, while Kadabra dropped its defense to unleash another Psybeam on them.

"Dodge and Charge!" Luxio was just as quick in avoiding the attack and carrying out her orders as Psi Pokémon was in raising the shield again. Ginchiyo only crossed her arms; she could wait. Reflect and other attacks like it took progressively more energy to maintain and would eventually have to be dropped, while Luxio could simply charge up more and more electricity in its fur. Kanetsugu seemed to realize the corner he backed himself into, letting a scowl cross his face. His next command took the Violighter by surprise.

"Teleport!" the Psychic Type vanished and reappeared next to the Junior Warlord's side, dropping its arms and letting out a wheeze. Ginchiyo only raised an eyebrow; perhaps she had overestimated them.

"Y-You're quite stronger than us... Than our honor..." he choked out, and it sounded like it was almost physically painful for him to admit that. But the warrior regained face, hands balling into fists as he took a step forward, his voice regaining its usual gusto. "But Lord Kenshin is another matter entirely!"

Kanetsugu disappeared in another flash of light, and was quickly replaced by the Warlord of Illusio. The pale man's only greeting was a small scowl, eyes sizing her up as the Gallade next to him extended the blades on its arms. Ginchiyo let herself take a step back.

Her dream had always been to live up to her father's name, and to finally defeat Violight's old rival of Motonari - something that she had been forced to bitterly admit to herself a few months ago would most likely remain a dream. But she refused to let that deter her from trying to make it a reality. If she could hold her own against Kenshin here, a man undoubtedly of Motonari's caliber, then it would be a solid step towards seeing it through. But Ginchiyo also knew that attacking him head on was suicidal. She stepped forward, making a show of her courage, and threw an arm out to the side.

"Flash! Now!" Luxio roared and engulfed the battlefield in another burst of light, the woman having only a few seconds to shield her gaze. She dropped it just in time to Gallade reach her partner, showing no signs at all of having been affected by the light, before winding back its arm and delivering a swift series of punches and kicks resembling Close Combat that sent Luxio sprawling back to her side. Ginchiyo felt the air escape her lungs as she reached down to check her partner, catching the Spark Pokémon prying an eye open and trying in vain to stand back up, only to let itself drop with a pained breath. Her steely gaze drifted up at the Warlord of Illusio, mouth agape.

"H-How..." his face remained emotionless, and the only sign that he had even heard her was a small 'hmph' that escaped his closed lips. Kenshin and Gallade teleported away seconds later, and Ginchiyo picked up her partner and draped the half-conscious Luxio over her shoulders. They would retreat and lick their wounds for a few minutes, but both refused to let even a defeat that stinging deter them. They would carve a way to the top, overcome any trial, no matter how long it took.

* * *

The dilapidated shrine Aurora was using as a command center was being guarded by a dozen or so warriors, who would only stop their pacing or idle watching to check the runners coming into the building. They were some of the ones whose partners took the brunt of the damage in the prior skirmish, but still managed to cling to consciousness. Guard duty wasn't glamorous, but at least it would give their Pokémon a chance to rest while providing Kazumi with some protection beyond Hanbei and Kanbei.

All of them turned around when a strong burst of light came from behind them. That was all the time Kenshin gave them before Gallade knocked all of their partners unconscious in a flurry of slashes and kicks. Some of the warriors fled with their Pokémon, some just stumbled back in shock. A few fell over. Kenshin and Gallade ignored them and proceeded into the shrine.

As the two made their way into the building, they were met with the sight of Hanbei and Kanbei running into the hallway from the opposite direction. Both tacticians stopped their dash across the room at the sight of Kenshin and his partner, stumbling a bit as they tried to regain their footing. The one in white exchanged a quick, panicked glance with the one in black, but both dropped into battle stances after a belated second, their Pokémon following suit. Kenshin only turned to Gallade, saying nothing and expression as stony as ever, but the Pokémon still nodded. The two disappeared in a burst of light seconds later, Hanbei and Kanbei immediately turning away from the front and looking around the hallway in confusion, backing up closer to each other. Both tactician's heads snapped towards the back when the Warlord of Illusio appeared close to the doorway, tossing them a small glance over his shoulder before teleporting away again.

The tacticians' instincts kicked into overdrive and they charged straight into the room Kazumi was occupying, much to the Warlord's confusion, neither noticing the smaller flash of light behind them. Hanbei's shoulders dropped after his purple eyes stopped flitting around the room, failing to find any sign of the Illusite or his partner.

"Wait..." the narcoleptic uttered quickly, turning to Kanbei. The albino's face told him he was thinking the same thing. "Why would he teleport behind us instead of straight into the room?"

"Well done," the voice of gravel spoke for itself, and was the only warning anyone got before two Psycho Cuts shot out of the doorway behind the tacticians, slamming into Pikachu and Lampent. Neither Pokémon moved to get up as Kenshin and Gallade entered the room. Kazumi took a shaky step forward, wordless, breath hitched and lips quivering, while Eevee bounded in front of her, trying its best to hide its fear. Kanbei took a cautionary step back, Hanbei found his legs were glued to the floor and could only grimace. The Illusite paid no attention to the two defeated tacticians, his gaze landing solely on the Warlord in front of him, trying so desperately to put up a show of courage. Kenshin's eyes narrowed for a second, and he could tell that the girl recoiled slightly.

"There is nothing to say. Prepare yourself," the Blade Pokémon beside him rushed forward, one of its green arms glowing in preparation for another Psychic Type attack.

"Dodge with Quick Attack, Eevee!" the Normal Type leapt up in a streak of white just in time to avoid the blade of energy, soaring through the place where Eevee had once been standing and cutting into the wall. Kenshin remained impassive.

"Do not permit it reprieve," Gallade gave a short nod and shot out two more Psycho Cuts, quickly recharging and repeating. Eevee was struggling to avoid the barrage, many of the attacks clipping it on its legs or tail, and Kazumi could tell constantly bounding across the room, twirling and bouncing off everything available to avoid the onslaught, were only quickly tiring out her partner - while Gallade showed no signs of exhaustion or letting up in the slightest. Finally, one of the attacks managed to hit the Evolution Pokémon mid-flip, slamming it into the wall with a sickening thud. Kazumi's breath escaped her chest, wheeling around to face her partner. Miraculously, the Pokémon was still conscious, and pushing itself back up, but Gallade's only response was to ready another attack.

Before the Pokémon could unleash it, a faint flash of purple rang out in the doorway behind it, rushing forward and slicing into Gallade's back. The Dual Type cried out in pain, loosing the Psycho Cut it was preparing as it dropped to the ground, while the leaf-shaped tail quickly retreated back behind the cover the doorway. It was Kenshin's turn to spin around, Gallade slowly rising back to its feet to face its attacker seconds later. Motonari and Serperior emerged from the shadow of the doorway moments later, only the sounds of the Grass Type slithering across the floorboards accompanying his light steps forwards. Serperior began to coil around the strategist, leaning forward threateningly, while Motonari offered a much more warm smile as a greeting. Kenshin only arched an eyebrow, Gallade wincing as it stretched out its arms. Kazumi had scooped up her partner into her arms, taking a few steps into a darker corner of the room, silently watching the exchange unfold with Hanbei and Kanbei. Kenshin was the first to break the silence.

"Motonari Mori, I presume?" the Greenleafer's reply was a nervous chuckle as he ran a hand through the back of his head. Serperior showed none of his sheepishness; looking ready to spring forward at any second.

"Ah, the God of War himself knows of me..." Motonari's smile grew a bit wider, cocking his head to the side. "I don't know whether to be honored or terrified, to be honest."

Rather than reply, the Illusite simply turned to look down at his partner. The Pokémon was clearly on edge, blades drawn into a rather threatening stance, but the Warlord could see that something else was off from the Pokémon's expression. It looked up to him, alarm passing across its features before speaking.

_"He is... difficult to perceive,"_ Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and Gallade turned back to their new opponents. _"His presence is like an echo; I can barely sense him."_

"All echoes have their sources. Focus," the Illusite muttered before turning back to the grassy-haired man.

"I suspect you are neither," Kenshin took a step forward. Motonari remained unmoving. "Double Team."

Within seconds, Motonari was facing seven Gallade instead of the one that had been standing by Kenshin's side. Each copy spread out, slowly trying to encircle him and Serperior, occasionally slashing forward in a feint to try to goad them into moving. Motonari's eyes quickly scanned across the field, searching for any indication where the real Blade Pokémon was, only to give up with a small sigh.

"Use Leaf Blade, stay still," the Regal Pokémon's leaf-tipped tail shot out, slashing through two of the Gallades to the right of the Pokémon. They vanished as the attack tore through them, the remaining five Pokémon lunging forward, each preparing a Psycho Cut. Serperior twisted itself, building off its momentum and lashing out at three of the other Blade Pokémon, each vanishing in the same manner as before. That left only two, both of which unleashed their attacks before the Grass Type had a chance to recoil itself and counter. Motonari gave a small nod, arms folded behind his back stately and expression unreadable as Serperior darted to the side, causing one of the attacks to miss and sail by the man's head. The other was to close for Serperior to avoid, and it cried out when the wave of telekinetic energy crashed into it, the Grass Type retaliating by lashing out with another Leaf Blade. This time the attack cut into the real Gallade, the Blade Pokémon staggering back while its copy surged forward with a Close Combat.

"Block it, if you would," Serperior retracted its tail, bringing up another Leaf Blade to parry a punch. That threw the copy off balance for a second, but it only built off it with a kick to the Grass Type's body. Serperior winced, and brought its tail upwards, slashing across the illusion's chest before it could follow up with another punch, dissipating it in time to see the real Gallade charge forward again with another Close Combat. The Regal Pokémon was caught off-guard, defenseless against the barrage of punches and kicks that the Blade Pokémon unleashed. Kenshin raised an eyebrow when he noticed that the attack seemed to be causing Gallade to exert itself a bit more than usual, the Pokémon's breathing becoming unsteady, movements less crisp and precise, and decided to change tactics.

"Grab its tail," it was immediately after Gallade snatched up the Grass Type's tail without any order from Motonari that the Illusite realized he had played into the strategist's hands. Gallade tugged on the Grass Type's tail before Kenshin could say otherwise, slinging Serperior into the air in preparation to slam it down. Motonari made his move.

"Now!" the Regal Pokémon twisted its serpentine body, slinging itself around Gallade's midsection before the Pokémon had a chance to throw it into the floorboards, quickly coiling itself around the Blade Pokémon. "Giga Drain!"

Gallade grunted as Serperior tightened its grip even more and then flinched as the Regal Pokémon began sapping away its health. Kenshin's expression morphed into a deeper scowl. "Teleport."

The Dual Type managed to escape from Serperior's vicegrip, falling to its knees and gasping for breath after rematerializing beside Kenshin. The Warlord of Illusio helped his partner get back on its feet, gazing across the field to the Greenleafer. Motonari seemed unfazed, and though Serperior was noticeably tired as well, it still looked to be better off than the Dual Type next to him. This battle needed to be ended quickly before reinforcements could arrive.

"Gallade," the Pokémon looked up at his silent command, meeting his firm gaze, and gave a nod. Gallade then cried out its name, generating even more copies of itself than last time until Motonari and Serperior were facing a small army, and then, in a massive burst of light that nearly blinded the duo and the three Warlords still clinging to the back, all of them had vanished. Motonari let his calm demeanor drop, eyes darting around the room anxiously until a few of the Gallades rematerialized, surrounding them and unleashing a Psycho Cut each before teleporting away immediately afterwards. This was repeated until Serperior was being barraged on all sides by the copies, striking out and retreating before anything could be done and not letting up in the slightest. Motonari flinched.

Commanding the copies produced by a Double Team instead of just using them as static decoys required a great deal of focus and training, but to also repeatedly teleport them for a sustained period of time was an even stronger testament to his opponent's strength. Yet another Psycho Cut slammed into Serperior, and the Pokémon swayed to the side, forcing itself upright before it could fall over. It was when that distinctive green haze overcame the Pokémon, the one that would occur when Overgrow would kick in - when his partner was pushed to the edge and gained its second wind, enduring even the most overwhelming of obstacles - that the Warlord of Greenleaf let a small smile cross his features.

"Now Serperior; Leaf Storm!" the swirling vortex of leaves that the Regal Pokémon kicked up pushed through the barrage of Pyscho Cuts, tearing through the illusions as they reappeared until the flurry of leaves finally swept up the real Gallade as well. When it died down, scattering even more leaves across the room, the Blade Pokémon fell back to Kenshin's side with a heavy grunt and Serperior let out a heavy sigh. Slowly, the Dual Type rose back up, only to cry out in pain and drop to its knees, gasping for breath. Kenshin's stoicism shattered in the face of concern, eyes darting down to the Pokémon.

"Gallade?" a quiet chuckle from his opponent drew away his, and everyone's, attention.

"Toxic is quite frightening in the way it way it works, really," the Greenleafer began, quietly, while Kenshin's scowl deepened. "At first it's barely noticeable; indistinguishable, in fact, from the fatigue of battle. But gradually, ever so slightly, it begins to coils itself around its victim, slowly squeezing the life out of them. And by the time it makes itself known, it is far too late."

Kenshin took a small step back, snaking an arm underneath Gallade's and easily lifting the Pokémon back up. The man grimaced, the words on the tip of his tongue bringing up bile in the back of his throat, but all it took was another glance at his partner for them to escape. "We must retreat; Teleport."

The Illusite and his barely-conscious partner disappeared in another burst of light, leaving the room to settle into an eerie calm for a few seconds. Once they were sure Kenshin and Gallade were truly gone, Serperior let out a pained wheeze and fell to the floor in a crumpled mess, red eyes flitting upwards with no small amount of relief. Motonari let out a held-in breath, exhaustion quickly etching itself into his features, and he stumbled over to his exhausted partner, sitting down against the Regal Pokémon's back.

"Thank goodness they bought it..." he muttered, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow. Hanbei stepped forward, Pikachu still cradled gently in his arms, eyes darting from the strategist on the floor to the doorway.

"H-How'd you pull that off?" Motonari looked up, eyebrow raised, and Hanbei continued. "I mean, I heard that Kenshin was supposed to be able to see through any lie."

"Well," the Greenleafer began with a sheepish chuckle, running a hand through the back of his hair. "I didn't lie, per se, I simply withheld information."

All Hanbei could do in response was blink, mouth parted as he grasped for words, as if Motonari's answer was too simple to be true. Kazumi stepped forward, Eevee sitting atop her shoulder, and the three other Warlords watched in disbelief as she made her way to the doorway.

"My Lady, where are you going?" she turned around at Kanbei's voice, features steeled.

"I've directed the battle from in here long enough. If Kenshin could make his way in here, then that doesn't bode well for what's going on outside," Hanbei turned to object, and she met his gaze before he could say anything. "I'm _needed_."

With that, Kazumi turned back to the exit, effectively silencing any further objections the two had. Motonari patted Serperior on the head and rose, the Grass Type following him as he joined the two Ignites in following the brunette.

* * *

Kazumi walked out of the shrine to a scene of complete chaos. While it was difficult to see who was who in the thick of the melee, warriors and Pokémon crashing against each other in a sea of colors, it was plain to see that they were losing. Terrera's charge might have been stopped, but they had still managed to push through both rows of barricades, pressing against Aurora's flanks and pushing them back, closer and closer to the rundown building they made into their headquarters. It was only in the center, where she could easily make out Yoshihiro at the front and Tadashi not too far behind, that the battle appeared to have swung in their favor, Pugilis' warriors standing up against repeated charges from Terrera-Illusio and keeping their army from being completely cut off and surrounded.

Her eyes drifted over a bit, away from the distant battle and to the barricades protecting the approach at the top of the hill, and she saw Ginchiyo directing a handful of warriors in firing attacks into the thick of battle. Kazumi ran over to her, the words escaping her mouth in a jumbled, incoherent mess, but the Violighter still managed to understand the gist of them. The grimace across her face did little to help Kazumi's hopes.

"Whenever we're close to beating one wave, they just teleport away and send in a new one, and the Pokémon are too tired to outlast them," the woman turned back to the battlefield, shouting out something, and Motonari took the opportunity to gain the Auroran's attention by clearing his throat.

"Then it's a loss," the man said decidedly, and she knew he was right. "We best retreat while we still have the chance."

Kazumi nodded, closed her eyes, and quietly gave the order. It didn't take long for them to be heard, and she watched on as more and more warriors began inching back, until all of them had started to put distance between themselves and the opposing army. All but Pugilis' Army, which remained unmoving in the face of their regrouping foes - who had taken advantage of their retreat to reorganize for another charge. Without much forethought, Kazumi rushed down the slope towards them, pushing her way through the retreating warriors until she came up to the imposing figure of Yoshihiro, standing next to her brother.

"Yoshihiro!" the Pugilite turned around nonchalantly, broad arms crossed against his chest. He only raised an eyebrow in response to the anger practically radiating from her.

"Yeah?" Yoshihiro's causal response did little to appease the girl.

"What are you doing!? I ordered a retreat!"

"I know," he confirmed with a curt nod, before turning back towards the enemy. "We'll retreat eventually."

"What!?" Kazumi nearly shouted, hands balling into fists. "You can't just-"

The older Warlord turned back around, this time with a bit more force. "You're going to need someone to cover your backs unless you want Shingen riding all over them."

"This is..." the Auroran shook her head vigorously, barely keeping herself from tugging at her hair, before turning back around. "Fine. C'mon, Tadashi."

Kazumi stopped when she heard no reply or steps trailing after her, and spun back around. Tadashi looked back at her wordlessly, showing no signs of moving, and only pursed his lips and looked downwards after a few seconds. Kazumi's mouth curled into a shaky frown, taking a step back in his direction. "Tadashi?"

"I'm staying," he muttered softly, but the words crashed into her, blue orbs widening.

"Brother!?" Tadashi looked back up, face steeled, and it was then that Kazumi knew what was coming next.

"It'll draw more attention away from you," he spun back around as a loud roar echoed from Terrera-Illusio, signaling another charge, tossing a final glance over his shoulder. "We don't have time. Go!"

Rather than turn or yell for him to come, all Kazumi could do was fumble for any words as she tried to process the dozens of thoughts running through her head at once, legs anchored to the ground. It wasn't until Ginchiyo and Luxio marched past her that the Warlord managed to regain her bearings. "I'll stay as well."

Kazumi turned at Ginchiyo's declaration, the Violighter joining the other two Warlords at the front, but she felt a tug on her wrist before she could object. She turned around, meeting the purple of Hanbei's eyes, silently pleading with her, and noticed Motonari a bit further off.

"Please-" the brunette didn't let the Ignite finish.

"Let go of my arm, Hanbei," Kazumi inwardly winced at how harsh her tone was, but she refused to show it. Hanbei didn't back down either.

"Please, Kazumi; there's nothing we can do and we don't have much time," Kazumi said nothing, refusing to break her gaze, until she finally acquiesced with a sigh and dropped her head after a few agonizingly long seconds.

"Fine," she muttered, dejectedly, as the roar of battle grew closer. She spared one final glance over her shoulder before following Hanbei, her legs feeling more and more like lead bricks as she moved further and further away from the battlefield. It was the logical thing to do and she hated herself for it.

* * *

Hours passed, but they dragged on like days.

"We lost..." Kazumi's words were barely above a whisper, but they rang out, shattering the uneasy silence that had hung over Chrysalia's war room like a cloud; the dark specter of their defeat looming over the room's few inhabitants and silently reminding them of the ramifications. Kanbei looked up from his place adjacent to her at the table they were gathered around, a gauntleted finger absentmindedly tracing lines across the canvas spread out across the wood, while Hanbei nodded with a weak sigh as he pulled his floppy hat down over his eyes. Oichi said nothing, interlocking her hands and letting her frown speak for her, and for a few fleeting moments Kazumi thought the girl might have been trembling. No one said anything. A few more moments passed by before the Warlord of Aurora continued.

"And Yoshihiro and brother still haven't returned," the brunette's blue eyes flitted past the warriors gathered around the table and to the large window behind it, catching the gold of sunset leaking through it and pouring into the room. Her lips curled into a pensive frown as a possibility that almost made her feel nauseous crossed her mind. "Could they have been captured?"

"I hope not..." Kazumi noted that Oichi's voice was nearly as shaky as her hands were, and the co-Warlord finally put one of her hands in a vice grip and started telling herself that Tadashi was too stubborn to let himself get captured.

"I'm confident they made it out all right," everyone present turned to the end of the table at the comment. Motonari, in stark contrast to everyone else, was calmly reading one of his books without any sign that the situation at hand was even an afterthought. The fact that he had said nothing beforehand and had been so motionless had almost made his very presence fade away from the group, and for a few seconds Kazumi wondered how he could be so calm in such the situation they were in, before a suspicion slowly began to piece itself together in the back of her head and gradually push itself forward.

"You knew we would lose the battle before we even got there, didn't you?" everyone present at the table blinked at the Warlord's question. Her face was firmly fixed forward, impassive, almost, and the fact that she had not said anyone's name did little to deter the Warlord of Greenleaf from closing the thick tome he was balancing on his knee and redirect his attention to the Auroran.

"Yes," the man replied coolly, as if he were discussing dinner plans. That one word drew the attention of the entire table with varying degrees of shock or surprise. Oichi was the first to speak.

"Then why-" Motonari allowed a light chuckle to escape him, and it was then that Kazumi realized he had also planned this conversation.

"Shingen and Kenshin are both titans in their own right, but combined..." he stopped for a moment and blinked, a gloved hand going to the back of his head. "Well, after today's battle, I think you all get the idea."

There were a few nods and mumbled agreements as everyone present tried not to think back to the battle that had been fought only a few hours ago. The Greenleafer continued. "Such strength comes with a price, though; and Kenshin and Shingen could afford to continue standing on their own, even as they were slowly surrounded."

A flicker of recognition passed through Hanbei's eyes, a small grin growing on his face to match it. "And all we had to do was shake them a little bit..."

Motonari nodded and let a wider smile break out across his face. "Yes, very good, Hanbei. Kenshin and Shingen were strong enough to stand on their own; they wouldn't need or accept help from anyone outside of Ujiyasu. And so, all it would take is for one to stumble, to make a few cracks visible, and then Nobunaga would make his move. The battle was merely a means to an end."

"And they would have no choice but to accept help to remain standing..." Kanbei was the one to speak, drumming his fingers against the wood as he continued the line of thought.

"Help from us," Kazumi finished, turning back to Motonari. "I'll go ahead and write them a letter. If we can send it before-"

"Actually, my Lady, I would advise against that," the four other Warlords took a collective blink at the older man's advice, and he chuckled sheepishly at the sight. "I fear it would reveal our hand a bit too much if we were to extend the invitation. Even though we desire an alliance as much as they do, we should at least put out the illusion that we don't need it; that we can return tomorrow with another army and finish what we began. That, combined with their pride, should spur them forward to save face."

Kazumi pursed her lips, resting her cheek against a balled up hand as she replied. "What if Nobunaga attacks first?"

"We should have enough time," to everyone's surprise, it was Oichi that answered the Warlord's question. "It will take a while for the news to reach them, and Illusio can teleport while Terrera has some of the fastest riders in Ransei."

"Well, I guess-" Muneshige's sudden appearance in the doorway stopped the Warlord in her tracks, and the Violighter gave a bow as all eyes in the room landed on him.

"My apologies for interrupting," he began, though his upbeat tone indicated elsewise. "But I'd just like to inform you that Pugilis' army is back."

Kazumi was the first out of the room at the news, not even bothering to say anything else as she dashed by Muneshige, and was followed by the other Warlords at a much more leisurely pace. Only a few seconds went by before she was out in the courtyard, eyes running over the warriors that were marching through the open gates until they landed on her sibling. He, like everyone else around him, was flushed and gasping for breath, but there was a grin on his face when he looked up and saw her.

"Missed me?" he choked out, and Kazumi felt like slapping him for a second before relief overrode everything. The girl ran up to him and hugged him, paying no heed to the dirt and sweat coating his armor.

"You're safe," the relief in the Warlord's voice was palpable, and Tadashi let out a wheezy chuckle as she released her grip on him.

"Just barely. We had to charge straight through their lines to get away, and even then they chased us all the way through Illusio before finally giving up," he took a deep breath and stood up straight, taking note of the disbelief across her face as he took off his helmet and wiped off his forehead. "How were things with you?"

"Pretty good, surprisingly," the boy did raise an eyebrow at Kazumi's answer, the relief in her voice beginning to crack under her exhaustion as she let out a heavy sigh. "We might be able to turn things around, even with our defeat."

Tadashi's face brightened ever-so slightly at the news, but then he let out a pained grunt and shifted slightly so that he was favoring his right leg. "You can tell me more later, I'm going to take a-"

"Hey, boy," Yoshihiro's voice floated over to them before Tadashi could slip back into the keep, and the Warlord of Aurora let a small scowl overtake his features before turning around and presenting a much more restrained visage to the Pugilite. The older man held in a chuckle at how obvious it was that the Auroran was trying to be civil, but gave no other indication he even registered the look on Tadashi's face. "You did a good job pulling your weight back there."

"Thanks," in an uncharacteristically cautious move that Kazumi silently approved of, Tadashi used the opportunity to slink away and leave her alone with the Warlord of Pugilis. The man's eyes trailed over to her, and apparently having decided he said all he needed to say as well, turned around and began marching towards the gate. Kazumi raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?" the bulky man stopped and tossed a glance over his shoulder at the Auroran's question.

"In case if you haven't noticed, one castle can only hold so many people," Yoshihiro turned back towards the castle's gates and motioned for the nearby warriors to follow him. "We'll be camped out in that fort over there with Motochika."

Kazumi watched the massive man disappear with his warriors, a canopy of various maroons slowly marching through the gates until the courtyard was nearly vacant. A bit of unease still rested in the back of her stomach about the grizzled Warlord, but she told herself that Motochika would be able to keep an eye on him. The twin's sapphire orbs then glanced over to the one other person that had not left with Pugilis' army, Ginchiyo herself silently watching the warriors depart with an impassiveness that betrayed nothing.

"Everything alright?" the Violighter blinked, like she had just been snapped out of a trance at the unexpected voice, and dropped her arms when turning to face Kazumi. For a shadow of a moment Kazumi thought she noticed a bit of surprise flash across the woman's face at being addressed by her, but if there was anything it didn't affect her response.

"Peachy," she muttered, and Kazumi wouldn't have to had been paying particularly close attention to know it was a lie. She spent a second wondering about it, whether Ginchiyo was still sore about being so effortlessly defeated, though the fact that it was at Kenshin's hands might have been of some consolation, or if it was just a residual distaste from having to work alongside Yoshihiro, given Pugilis and Violight's rocky past. The Auroran decided not to press the matter, thinking it would be better to simply leave it be, and for her part, Ginchiyo seemed to be handling it better as well.

"Hey, Ginchiyo," the former Warlord of Violight raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for watching Tadashi's back," the thanks took the woman off guard for a few seconds, Ginchiyo's face softening before she crossed her arms and gave a reply in her typical steely vein.

"I was only doing my duty," Kazumi's response was a small, toothless smile before she spoke.

"You didn't have to, though," the Violighter didn't seem to know how to respond to, taking a quick glance at the ground below like it would offer her an answer before looking back up and just giving a nod and a muffled 'You're welcome' in return. Ginchiyo and her partner then trudged into the keep, while Kazumi carried on to the edge of the courtyard, ducking through the partially-rebuilt gate of the castle and looking out east, as if trying to make out the vast peaks of Illusio in the distance. She wondered what was going on in the Psychic Type kingdom and its southern neighbor right now, if Kenshin and Shingen were celebrating their victory or preparing for another battle. Maybe they were already on their way to the thriving Bug Type kingdom to negotiate, like Motonari said they would? Or had their eyes turned to the danger looming on the other side of those white-capped mountains and the vast desert to its south?

The brunette shook her head and turned away from the horizon. Kenshin and Shingen could be doing any number of things at the moment, but she knew what Nobunaga was undoubtedly doing, and preparing for that was more important. The girl began to walk back to the castle; though the Warlord of Greenleaf was confident Shingen and Kenshin would indeed come, surely writing up something on the off-chance that they didn't wouldn't hurt?

* * *

Kazumi let out a weary sigh as she slumped back in her chair, gripping her hand in an effort to ease the dull throbbing. A discarded pen had clattered down on the desk moments before, sending dots of ink similar to the ones covering her hands sprawling across the half-written letters covering the desk. In a moment of frustration, the Warlord ran the hand that didn't feel like it had pins sticking out of it through her ponytail, before taking a swipe at the desk, sending crumpled-up balls of paper and unfinished notes displaying her jumbled attempts at calligraphy onto the floor below, and she was certain she had given herself a few new paper cuts in the process.

The Auroran was at a complete loss over what to say. 'Hi; I know we attacked you and all, but would you like to be friends?' would only get her so far. Kazumi winced when she felt another stinging sensation in the hand that wasn't suffering from a cramp, and final stood up, rolling her tired shoulders before stretching her arms - something which felt good after being hunched over a desk for so long. Her eyes drifted over to the sole window in her room, catching a glimpse of the clear night sky.

"I guess they're not coming..." Kazumi muttered. It had been sunset when she started trying to write up the letter, and she wondered if she had missed dinner yet. The Auroran rolled her shoulder again, and then tried rubbing at the knot she felt. She blinked wearily. Maybe there was time for a bath before dinner, and at least make herself look halfway presentable and not like she had just finished wrestling with a bottle of ink? Kazumi smiled a bit at the idea; at least it would be a decent way to finish the day. A sudden flash of light from behind her, though, put those hopes to dash.

"Kenshin, this doesn't look like Chrysalia's gat-" Kazumi turned around very slowly, a sense of dread having completely washed over her at hearing the deep voice. When the Warlord had finally stopped, Kenshin, Shingen and their Pokémon were all standing in front of her, each eyeing her with a very blank expression that made it obvious they were at just a loss over what to do as she was. The masked Warlord was the first to break the ice, coughing uncomfortably and hesitantly raising a hand.

"Uh, hi," her response, like she had just woken up from a particularly bad nightmare, was to scream in shock. The next few minutes seemed to pass by in a whirl; Shingen flinched and took a step back in shock, Kenshin only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his partner digging its stubby foot into the floorboards as it tried to avoid anyone's gaze, while Rhyperior rolled its eyes. Her own partner, still resting from the battle, was jolted awake with the noise and stumbled over to her side, doing its best to not limp and stare down the intruders at the same time. Then Tadashi chose that time to burst into the room with Ginchiyo and Muneshige in tow, the latter of who was in charge of the night-watch, and the moment his bluish-grey eyes landed on the two Warlords, he immediately shouted out something about kidnappers and issued an order to his partner.

Kenshin turned to his partner, eyes narrowed, as if he was saying 'This is your mess, fix it'. Gallade gave a nod, stepped forward, and smacked aside Tadashi's Eevee mid-leap, only to get hit by a strong current of electricity from Ginchiyo's Luxio. Before the battle could escalate further, and Kazumi was still confused as to how they managed to pull it off, Motonari and Serperior practically materialized between the two combatants, giving Shingen enough to time assure them they weren't there to kidnap anyone. As if her room wasn't already crowded enough, Hanbei, Kanbei and Oichi decided to come in and investigate the commotion, Kazumi absentmindedly taking note of the stained apron tied around Oichi's waist and deciding that she hadn't missed dinner yet.

"Why don't we sort all this out over dinner?" the obnoxious cacophony of chatter that filled the room died down at the female twin's suggestion, the object of everyone's confusion simultaneously shifting from one topic to another.

"That would probably be for the best," Motonari commented.

"Well, it would be a shame if our food went cold," Oichi chimed in, folding her hands in front of herself like she felt nervous speaking out. There were a few rounds of mumbled agreement following her statements, and everyone uneasily made their way out of Kazumi's room, giving the Warlord enough time to bandage and wash her hands before following. Seconds after she had left the room, Dosetsu hobbled in as quickly as his leg would let him, the retired Warlord and the Gleam Eyes Pokémon next to him quickly scanning the room before the former let out a grunt and started muttering as he turned back around.

"Dinner's almost ready, anyways..." when the Violighter finished his trek back down to the base of Chrysalia's keep and strode into the expansive dining room, the various smells floating out from the kitchen gnawing away at his stomach like a starving Mightyena, he was immediately struck by the sight of unruly white hair and flashes of crimson sticking out amongst everyone else seated, but said nothing as he took his seat between Motonari and Ginchiyo. The food was brought out moments later and most of the Warlords gathered around the table immediately began eating while their partners started on their own meals that had been handed out earlier. The conversation between Shingen, Kenshin, and the co-Warlords of Aurora drowned out Yoshimoto's comparison of the bun on his plate to life, which then somehow morphed into a one-man debate over whether life would taste better steamed or roasted, while Sessai just sighed, muttered something about being baked in the head, and looked over to the center of the table where the four Warlords were.

"So, uh, sorry about that. Again," Shigen muttered through a mouthful of food, bothering to swallow before taking a swig of his water.

"It's fine, I guess," Kazumi replied, taking a small note in slight disgust at how viciously her own counterpart was tearing into his food, but refocused her attention on the far more pressing issue. "But why my room?"

The Blade Pokémon sitting next to Kenshin sunk uncomfortably into its seat, while Kenshin cleared his throat. "Teleportation into unfamiliar areas is not an exact science. There was just as much a chance of us materializing in a broom closet as your room."

Kazumi raised an eyebrow, mentally filing away that information, while Shingen frowned and crossed his bulky arms. "And that's why we're taking the Rapidash next time we need to go somewhere else on a diplomatic visit."

"Speaking of diplomatic visits," Tadashi muttered through his meal before quickly diving back into the food.

"Right," Shignen then cleared his throat and leaned in, placing his wrists on the table loudly to draw the attention of both twins again. "Now, that was quite the battle today, but it's worn both of our armies out."

Kazumi remembered Motonari's words from earlier, and using what limited acting skills she had, pursed her lips quizzically and raised an eyebrow in feigned ignorance. "It has?"

Though Shingen seemed to scrutinize her for a second, as if trying to decide the true implications behind her statement, the look she got from Kenshin - eyes narrowed, lips setting into a slightly deeper scowl - told her he had effortlessly seen through her bluff. Kazumi took consolation in the fact that she had almost no experience in this and had still managed to still instill some amount of doubt in Shingen, Motonari even throwing a discreet smile her way for her efforts before returning to his meal, and then the girl wondered what it would be like to play cards with Kenshin. Apparently Shingen had decided it was irrelevant, as he continued his spiel.

"And regardless of which of us comes out on top, Nobunaga will swoop in and take both of us out. Once me and Kenshin fall, he sweep through you next. Our only chance of making it through this is if we join forces."

"An alliance?" Shingen smiled in response to her hasty confirmation, pushing back the nauseous feeling in his gut he got whenever he suspected he had been played. He caught Kenshin's subtle nod out of the corner of his eye, and knew it was directed at him.

"Good, we're on the same page," the Warlord of Terrera repressed a melancholy sigh as he wondered how long ago their struggle had been decided. "We don't have your resources, but we'll gladly help you push back Nobunaga."

Kazumi smiled at the declaration, a genuine smile that took both men off-guard. "All right then, we'll be happy to have you alongside us."

Shingen blinked incredulously, spared a quick glance to a stony-faced Kenshin, and then looked back at the female twin. "That's it?"

"We would have asked you to join us even if we won," Kazumi conceded. Shingen's lips parted, trying to come up with a reply, while Kenshin's impassive visage broke for a few seconds to let him furrow his brow. Kazumi finally extended an open hand, the one not hastily wrapped up in stained bandages, and Shingen leaned forward and shook it a bit too firmly for her liking. Everyone's attention then shifted to Kazumi's left when Tadashi sat back in his chair with a small sigh, an empty plate and bowl in front of him.

"Oichi's cooking is probably the best in Ransei," he commented. Oichi, only sitting a few chairs away, smiled at the compliment and offered up a typical self-effacing reply, while Shingen looked down at his own half-eaten meal. As Terrera was a desert dotted with plains, and bread that didn't happen to have sand in it was their equivalent of cuisine, he had to agree with the boy's sentiments.

"It's certainly some of the best I've-" Shingen's eyes trailed over to the girl in question, and the words died in his throat. Oichi's heart nearly skipped a beat when she met his gaze, the pit in her stomach growing as she saw the flicker of recognition in his eyes, undoubtedly thinking back to the day when the scared little girl had appeared before him, pleading with him to help. Kenshin caught Shingen's actions, his eyes switching between the two for a brief second, and then when his gaze fell upon her too, like he was looking straight into her soul, Oichi knew he had connected the dots. Shingen's uncomfortable cough broke the second-long silence that had dragged on for an eternity. "Ever had..."

Tadashi noticed the awkward spilt second between Shingen's sentence, eyes shifting between the two Warlords. "Is there something wrong?"

"Hm?" Oichi felt her heart begin pounding against her chest at the question, breath catching in her throat as she tried to think of what to say for what she was certain was the inevitable, while Shingen painstakingly mulled over the question. Would she even be able to muster the courage to say anything, to face them once they knew? Would she be driven away or flee first? The Auroran grew increasingly pale as Shingen's eyes returned to the two Warlords. "Ah, no."

The auburn-haired girl let out a painfully pent-up breath, something which didn't go unnoticed by either of the twins, but the Warlord of Terrera continued. "But back to the reason we're here; if you can drop by Terrera tomorrow morning, we can begin coming up with a plan on how to mobilize against Nobunaga."

Though it was said as a request, both twins understood that they had no choice. For their sakes, and everyone else's. Kazumi gave a resolute nod, something that seemed to make both of the Warlords across from her happy, but was taken aback when Shingen pushed out his chair loudly and stood, Kenshin following him by mere seconds.

"Where are you going?" Tadashi had beaten his sibling to the punch. Shingen only let out a bout of hearty laughter like the answer was obvious.

"Back home. You don't really expect us to stay the night here with Nobunaga breathing down our necks, do you?" the male twin scratched the back of his head sheepishly, giving a muted negative. Seconds later, Shingen, Kenshin, and their partners had vanished in another blinding flash that brought the room to a screeching halt for a few seconds, only for everyone to return to their meals and conversations seconds later. Tadashi stayed fixed on where they had been standing seconds before, and did his best to look deep in contemplation over the situation, when in reality he was silently watching Oichi slowly push the food on her plate around. Now wasn't the time to ask.

Eventually, the room began to clear out as night blanketed the Kingdom, almost everyone heading to their rooms shortly after. Tadashi spared a worried glance in the direction of Oichi's before turning in.

* * *

"Lord Nobunaga!" Ranmaru's light voice preceded his appearance by mere seconds, the page stopping only to offer the customary bow in the archway before quickly giving his report. "Aurora and Terrera-Illusio have clashed!"

Silence fell over the room again once his voice died down. Ranmaru blinked and looked up at the dais in the center of the tower. Nobunaga was there, standing silently and looking out across the distance, but showed no signs of having heard anything. Ranmaru knew better. The young page immediately straightened when, slowly, the man in the center of the room turned to look at his partner. The Pokémon gave a nod, the nature of their silent conversation completely escaping the boy. Nobunaga took a few steps forwards, getting dangerously close to the opening that gave such a majestic view of Dragnor's landscape.

"Lord Nobunaga?" Ranmaru's voice bounced across the pavilion-like tower, but a familiar feeling of unease began to creep up in the boy when there was still no order given. Finally, right before the page was about to give up and turn to the Brutal Pokémon silently floating off to the side, he noticed his lord shift.

That was the only warning he got before Nobunaga leapt out of the tower.

Ranmaru's instincts kicked into overdrive, launching him up to the steps and across the dais until he was at the ledge of the tower himself, looking down at the endless expanse below. One of Hydreigon's head-arms clamped down on the back of his tunic and yanked him away from the edge to keep him from falling, and the page caught a flicker of obsidian glowing in the moonlight before fading away into the black of the midnight landscape.

* * *

Terrera was a foreboding land; the land of endless sands, harsh winds and unforgiving light, all straddled in the dead center of Ransei. But it was easier to travel than the high peaks and steep cliffs of Illusio, which meant that its roads were well developed to help ease the flow of traffic and goods between the two halves of the region. Kazumi ran a hand through her ponytail when they finally arrived at the more temperate plains that Terrera's city and castle were built upon, trying to get rid of the ever-irritable and pervasive grains of sand that clung to it. Tadashi only rolled his eyes as their small entourage walked through the half-asleep city, silently thinking about the futility of her struggle, while she envied him for not having to worry about having long hair. Their group arrived at the castle gates quickly, everyone eager to get some reprieve from the heat, and were met by a tired-looking Yukimura. He was standing as straight and stalwart as usual with the rest of the castle's guard, but based on the bags under his eyes and the slight stagger in his step as he turned to lead them to Shingen, it was clear to see that he had probably gone without sleep the previous night.

Tadashi spared a glance behind them while they were ushered into the keep. Oichi seemed nervous, shaky hands folded and steps light like there was some unseen danger looming over them all, and he wondered if it had been a good idea to let her come. Originally it was only going to be the two of them, Motonari, Hanbei, Kanbei, and Ginchiyo in the event they came under attack, but Oichi had requested to tag along as well. He would have normally paid it no heed, welcomed her presence without a second thought - she had marched alongside them since their first battle, after all - but he couldn't put that incident last night out of his head, and her anxiety was doing nothing to ease his concerns.

"Are you okay?" the Auroran quickly looked up from her steps, grip tightening around the Balloon Pokémon cradled in her arms at Tadashi's voice.

"I-I'm fine. Thanks..." Tadashi held in a sigh. Oichi was a terrible liar, but he had been expecting that reply. There would be time to ask more later today, to see if there was something he could do, when there wasn't an entire convoy of warriors around them. It took a few minutes and many twists, but they were finally led into Terrera's war room, where both Shingen and Kenshin were waiting. The room easily occupied its own section of the castle; in addition to the typical table which occupied the center of the room, surrounded by the red of Terrera's banners, Tadashi caught sight of bookshelfs lining one elevated end of the room, and what appeared to be an entire auditorium on the other side.

Tadashi's silvery eyes followed Ginchiyo and Yukimura as they stepped off to the side, seemingly engrossed in whatever the topic of their conversation was while he took a chair at the table and listened to Shingen give a summary of the situation. Though he was never exactly fond of these meetings, the stuffy atmosphere of the room aggravating his patience even further, having spent a few weeks learning the basics of strategy under Motonari, the brunette understood their importance. He drummed his fingertips against the wood idly while his sister took a more active role, chiming in when necessary but otherwise simply listening. After what felt like, and if his stomach was any indication, was indeed, hours of discussing, debating and pouring over facts, things were finally brought to a close. They would march into Cragspur and, assuming that Ujiyasu was still in charge, use it as a beachhead to sweep through the southeast counterclockwise while Kenshin remained in Illusio and covered their flank. It was nothing spectacular, but they couldn't afford to overextend their forces either.

Shingen finally stood, and in a move that was a great relief to most of the room, said that now would be a good time to have lunch. His suggestion of a picnic, though, took most of his guests by surprise. Tadashi was indifferent to the idea; it would be hot wherever they were in the desert kingdom, but at least outside was not nearly as muggy as the castle. How anyone could bear to live in such a place was beyond him. Ultimately, there were no objections; given that they would march tomorrow, everyone realized it was the last chance they would get to enjoy themselves for a while.

The area the Warlord of Terrera led them to was only a short trek away from the castle; a small, isolated patch of green shaded by a few palm trees, sticking out like a sore thumb against the plains that surrounded it. Given the gentle breeze and altogether milder-than-usual weather, it was actually a pretty good spot for a picnic. For the most part, everyone seemed to agree with his unsaid sentiments, and Tadashi suspected Shingen had already planned it when Kunoichi materialized next to him with a large picnic basket dangling from her arm. Maybe this was just his way of trying to get acquainted with his new allies?

Whatever Shingen's motives were, it was plain to see that everyone was enjoying themselves. Tadashi's eyes scanned over the crowd that had formed, most of the Warriors and their partners sitting down around a ragged tarp that looked like it had weathered one too many sandstorms, chattering amicably while they ate, and then over to one of the palm trees when he saw Oichi out of the corner of his eyes.

"Not hungry?" the pink-clad girl jumped a little at his comment, nervously looking over her shoulder as Tadashi approached, the boy taking note that she looked a bit pale.

"I.. haven't had much of an appetite lately," Oichi turned around to face the Auroran fully, feeling the knots in her stomach multiply with every step he took forwards.

"You skipped out on breakfast, too," a small frown crossed his face as he said that, while Oichi wondered why everyone had stopped talking all of a sudden. Tadashi didn't seem to notice. "You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"I'm fine," the girl bit her bottom lip, feeling even more nauseous with the lie. Tadashi's eyes narrowed a little, and she shifted her own gaze to the side to avoid having to make eye contact with him, watching in increasing curiosity as everyone else stood.

"Oichi, what happened last..." Tadashi finally seemed to notice what was going on behind him, as he stopped and turned around, looking down at the vacated picnic. Both Aurorans saw that everyone had formed a small crowd off in the distance, watching something hesitantly like an impending storm. Tadashi tilted his head in their direction before taking off, Oichi following on shaky knees, and both worming their way to the front to get a better look themselves. Oichi felt her blood run cold at the sight waiting for her.

Zekrom had finished its descent, loose sand and dust being pushed aside as it touched the ground only a short distance away. Nobunaga dropped off the towering Pokémon's back, dark eyes running over the gathered warriors, before he finally focused on the three Aurorans at the front. Both twins hardened their features; only one man in Ransei could claim to have been acknowledged as worthy by Zekrom, and his reputation preceded him.

"Oichi," the girl broke out into a cold sweat at the conqueror's apathetic acknowledgement, said almost as an afterthought as the man approached them, while Tadashi and Kazumi turned to look at Oichi, who only shrunk back even more with the additional attention.

"Oichi," Tadashi began, and the girl felt like crawling under a rock at his question. "You know him!?"

"Ah..." the shadow of a smirk crossed Nobunaga's face at hearing the question. Oichi felt her heart plummet into her stomach when the man's eyes narrowed slightly, like a hunter eyeing its prey before swooping in and crushing its neck. Tadashi turned away from her to the conqueror hesitantly, unease only building up in both of them even more. Oichi's instincts screamed at her to run, thrashing against the little courage she had built up, but her legs felt like they were anchored to the ground. She could only watch on hopelessly as Nobunaga's lips twitched upwards by a hair.

"Nobunaga takes it you have yet to tell them. Sister," the pink-clad girl's breath caught in her throat, any words that might have sputtered past her lips coming out as nothing more than petrified squeaks. She could feel the shock practically pouring off those around her, and the intensity of a dozen pair of eyes boring holes into her from all sides. Tadashi's head jerked back to her.

"He's..." his silvery eyes ran up and down her, as if he was searching for something that had been hiding in plain sight all along, while more beads of sweat began to collect on Oichi's forehead. "You're..."

Oichi finally forced air into her lungs, her breathing as shaky as her frame. She continued looking ahead at the Warlord across from them, not able to bring herself to meet Tadashi's gaze.

"My brother is dead..." Oichi began trembling even more as she uttered that, emotions that she had suppressed for far too long finally exploding into a confusing mix that was far too much to handle at once. It took every fiber of her being to carry on, let alone not break down into a crying mess, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her hands into fists and eyes narrowing as she looked at the obsidian-encased man with more antipathy than Tadashi had ever seen in his entire life. "All I see is a madman."

"Excellent," Nobunaga's smirk had grew a little wider at her declaration, slowly clapping and letting out a laugh that sounded a bit too hollow to Tadashi. "You will need that apathy."

Shingen stepped forward with his partner, their heavy steps finally breaking everyone out of their doldrums. The masked man grimaced, lowering his fan in Nobunaga's direction and drawing his attention as well. "I don't know what you hoped to accomplish by coming here, but you're a fool if you think you're leaving."

Nobunaga's reply was prefaced with a raised eyebrow, as if he was looking at a child trying to threaten him with a stick. "Is that so?"

Kenshin and his partner soon joined Shingen at the front, the latter wasting no time in giving out an order. "Use Rock Wrecker!"

The field fell into chaos only seconds later, commands and attacks flying at the Deep Black Pokémon from all directions. Nobunaga only crossed his arms, lips pursing into an expression that looked almost bored. "Fusion Bolt."

Zekrom's tail-turbine whirled to life with the crackle of electricity, blue sparks shooting out from it before the Pokémon let out an earth-shattering roar and catapulted itself into the barrage. The few attacks that weren't incinerated by the field of electricity that the Legendary had generated were effortlessly shrugged off, and Tadashi only had a few seconds to flinch before the behemoth crashed into them. Warriors and Pokémon alike were sent flying at the impact, and Tadashi let out a pained grunt as he crashed into the ground some distance away. He lifted an uncooperative hand to the back of his head, already feeling the bruise beginning to form, before slowly pushing himself up with his elbows. He caught sight Eevee, only a few feet away, the Normal Type struggling to get back on its own paws, and then he looked over to the charred area that he had been standing in moments before. Zekrom had moved back, while everyone else had been knocked away by the impact, scattered and thrown aside like himself. Everyone but Oichi.

She stood a few feet away, having been knocked back at the attack, but she was still standing. The only one left in Nobunaga's path, and her legs refused to budge. And Oichi found herself caught in his glare; his eyes, betraying no joy, sorrow, anger, regret or any signs of life, staring into her. All the girl could do was flinch in the few seconds of quiet, like the calm before a storm, before the conqueror's voice cut across the distance.

"Mercy is for the weak," Oichi recoiled under his gaze as it became even more intense, like he was looking into her soul and shifting through her thoughts and she was staring back at death, and her breath hitched when Nobunaga continued. "Thunderbolt."

Zekrom hesitated for the shadow of a second, it looking down on the lone warrior and her partner before charging up another attack. Oichi squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears falling down her face, lips quivering, and holding back a choked whimper. Tadashi groaned as he finally pushed himself upright, staggering for a second before straightening, and then charged at the petrified Auroran. Arcs of blinding electricity shot out, and Tadashi slammed into Oichi's side, the girl letting out a startled yelp as she was pushed out of the line of fire, panic crossing her face when she caught sight of Tadashi. He only had time to return a sad smile before turning back to the front, catching a glimpse of brown out of the corner of his eyes before the lightning connected.

Tadashi shrieked out in agony, his screams echoing across the field as the holy lightning surged through his body, vision turning into a dotted white before everything faded to black.


	33. Chapter 33

Kazumi remembered something escaping her throat when the lightning connected with Tadashi's body. It took a second to register - she was too fixated on helplessly watching as her brother convulsed and garbled out screams of agony - but it was some shrill, ear-splitting scream as she stumbled to get back on her feet. Tadashi's Eevee was quicker, and she could feel hers had already been knocked out by the attack; she was useless for this battle.

Before she was even standing up straight her brother's Pokémon had already rocketed across the field, Quick Attack fueling its every step. Zekrom and Nobunaga noticed the blur too late; Eevee leapt up with a cry ferocious enough Kazumi couldn't believe it could possibly come from such a small Pokémon, and rammed into Zekrom's snout headfirst. Zekrom snorted at the attack - despite hitting it with every last ounce of strength it could muster, all Eevee could accomplish was getting the legend to stop electrocuting its partner - and quickly swatted away the brown pest that had tried to stop it. Eevee landed in crumpled heap some distance away - at the same time that Tadashi's convulsing body collapsed into the desert sands - and Zekrom's attention turned back to the scattered warriors before it.

Kazumi was back on her feet; she only had a quick second to glance down at the twitching mess that was her brother before looking back at the conqueror. He had cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking down at Tadashi disinterestedly. Nobunaga then let out a quiet 'tch' and returned his focus to the shocked warriors spread out before him. Kazumi felt her nails digging into her palms as her hands balled up into fists, teeth grinding against themselves as her lips morphed themselves into a snarl. The sight of her brother's body made her blood boil, and the conqueror's supreme indifference to the execution that he had just ordered finally caused something in the back of her mind to snap.

"ATTACK!" Shingen, too busy coughing up sand to register the absolute rage in her voice, was the first back on his feet. Instead, his eyes were solely on the Warlord of Dragnor and the Legendary Pokémon in front of him.

"Earthquake, Rhyperior! Don't hold back!" the Terreran bellowed through his hacking. The bulky Pokémon behind him had already recovered from the shock of the attack and charged at Shingen's command with an ear-splitting roar, leaping over Tadashi's body and then throwing a fist into the desert. Large chunks of sand and stone flew up at the legend and the ground itself started to shake and crack underneath it. Zekrom let out a roar as it tried to steady its footing, the Pitch Black Pokémon's turbine crackling with electricity just as the torrent of sand crashed against it. The legend let out another burst of electricity and a roar that sent the debris flying in every direction. The tremors stopped as Rhyperior was slammed by part of the blast, Shingen yelling out for it to counter, while Kenshin's Gallade finally summoned the strength to teleport into the thick of the battle. Zekrom was blinded by the sudden burst of light right in front of it and was quickly met with a sharp punch to the stomach, followed up with an equally jarring kick to the jaw.

The Dragon growled and discharged another blast of electricity before Gallade could continue Close Combat, sending the Blade Pokémon flying into the air. Rhyperior wasted no time in following up Gallade's work by smashing a Fire Punch into Zekrom's muzzle with as much force as possible. Zekrom let out a growl and prepared to counter with a Dragon Claw, only for Gallade to come down on it with a Psycho Cut. The Legend of Ideals groaned out as it was knocked onto its knees by the force of the attack, and then let out a cry as Rhyperior punched it into the ground. Nobunaga's eyes narrowed.

"Enough. Zekrom," the Legend shot up with a deafening roar at the Warlord's command, with arms raised high in the air and a wide snarl that bared dozens of razor-sharp teeth to the two Pokémon below. Rhyperior took a small step back and Gallade raised its arms - Zekrom swept both of them aside effortlessly with another Dragon Claw. Shigen and Kenshin both let an identical grimace cross their face as their partners were launched back to them, but the Legendary Pokémon was engulfed by a sudden whirlwind of sand before it had a chance to charge them. Zekrom's eyes darted from side to side, trying to figure out where the attack had come from - all the Pokémon could make out was a wall of leaves and sand whirling around it.

It barely had time to react as it caught the pink flash out of the corner of its eye. Zekrom raised a bulky arm and shielded itself from the barrage of Pyscho Cuts as Gallade's doubles charged through the makeshift sandstorm, and then unleashed a Thunderbolt on the copies. The arc of electricity swept through the illusions that failed to teleport away in time and charred the sand underneath, and was followed up with another wide-reaching Dragon Claw as the remaining ones rematerialized. Zekrom scowled as more of the copies began to teleport into the maelstrom, letting out another burst of blinding electricity.

From his viewpoint, standing at the very cusp of the whirlwind that had cut off his line of sight from his partner, Nobunaga could feel Zekrom's growing frustration with Kenshin's guerilla tactics. They were trying to buy time - not that he was particularly concerned what for. The conqueror crossed his arms and was about to order Zekrom to charge through the barrier of wind and sand and crush the Aurorans when he heard it. The sound was difficult to make out over the roaring of the sandstorm, but the faint sound of sand and dead leaves crunching underneath someone's boot drew his attention to the left.

"Now," Motonari whispered from underneath the cover of the layer of sand in the air. Nobunaga was barely able to grab Serperior's tail before it could slash into his eyes - the Warlord of Dragnor didn't need to be able to see either of them to know that they were both unnerved - and he swung the Grass Type into the sandstorm. Serperior dropped the Leaf Storm that had caused the whirlwind before it could be pummeled by the sand and dirt like Zekrom was, only for said Legendary to smack it into the desert with a Dragon Claw and punt the unresponsive Pokémon back to the horrified Greenleafer. The loss of the sandstorm had also ended the smokescreen Motonari and Serperior had been using to mask their allies movements; Nobunaga immediately saw that the rest of the warriors were already encircling Zekrom, while Kenshin's Gallade was sucking on air from the exertion of creating and commanding so many copies.

Nobunaga shot an arm out in the direction of the Dual Type; Zekrom responded by unleashing a Thunderbolt in its direction. Nobunaga had no time to watch the attack connect; Zekrom had made its move, and the handful of warriors surrounding it each ordered off their own attack; a Thunderbolt from Luxio, Flamethrower from Charmeleon, an Ice Shard from Sneasel, and a Confuse Ray from Lampent. He ordered Zekrom to stop them with another Thunder Bolt - only for a blur of yellow to shoot out from behind Kanbei and cross the battlefield in the blink of an eye. Pikachu jumped up and brought an Iron Tail down on Zekrom as it was about to unleash the attack, breaking the legend's focus and buying enough time for the onslaught of attacks to hit. The Thunderbolt was brushed off with ease, the Flamethrower was endured, while the Ice Shard managed to push the Pitch Black Pokémon into the Confuse Ray. Hanbei, stepping out of the shadow of his taller counterpart, let a small grin cross his face as Shingen threw an arm out.

"ROCK WRECKER!" Zekrom stumbled to its knees as it tried to stop its vision from spinning uncontrollably, leaving it completely defenseless as the massive boulder nearly crushed it. Rhyperior and Shingen both looked pleased with themselves at bringing down the black behemoth with what was now a dozen or so smaller rocks, while Nobunaga simply let out an apathetic sigh.

"Outrage," everyone took an instinctive step back as Zekrom's tail crackled to life, the legend thrashing its head back and forth like it was trying to shake off its disoriented state. The Pitch Black Pokémon finally let out another powerful roar and threw its arms out to the right. Yukimura, Kunoichi and their partners were sent flying by the force of the attack, while Hanbei and Kanbei both took a step back as Zekrom turned to face them and Ginchiyo. Kanbei was about to order a Smog to mask their retreat, but Zekrom's attack came too quick.

Hanbei remembered the disgusting sensation of sand being knocked into his mouth and nose as he crashed face-first into the desert. He ignored the burning in his palms and pushed himself back up, managing - through the water in his eyes and his hacking - to catch a glimpse of Yukimura shaking his unresponsive bodyguard while Zekrom brought its fists down on an exhausted Rhyperior. The tactician felt his arms quiver as the Ground Type was crushed into the desert, pillars of sand shooting into the air, and he even caught Shingen stumbling back at the ferocity of the attack.

"H-He's..." Hanbei coughed up some more sand, trying to find Kanbei in his peripheral vision. "Unstoppable..."

"Not..." he heard Ginchiyo's reply - it was distant, though it was hard to tell if that was because she had been thrown further away or if the ringing in his ears drowned out more than he thought. He turned to where the voice had come from; he saw Ginchiyo a few feet away pushing herself back up, and noticed Kanbei's limp form sprawled out behind her, eyes clenched shut as he hugged his leg. Hanbei's arms finally gave out, and everything went black.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Ginchiyo finally yelled as she staggered off in Nobunaga's direction, drawing her blade.

Nobunaga let his lips sink into a slight scowl as Kenshin's Gallade teleported itself in front of Zekrom - the conqueror quickly deciding that the Gallade Zekrom had electrocuted had just been yet another illusion - and was about to give an order to finish the pest when he noticed the charging Violighter in the corner of his eye. Within a few seconds Ginchiyo had closed the distance between them and wound her sword back.

"This is for Violight!" she shouted as she aimed for his neck. Nobunaga wasted no time in drawing his own sword and blocking her swing; rather than let him push her away, Ginchiyo spun around and tried to cut into his unguarded side. The Warlord parried her follow up and countered with a slash that forced the Violighter to stumble back. Nobunaga took advantage of his momentum to deliver another slash that managed to knick her arm; Ginchiyo's guard dropped and he bashed the pommel of his blade into her jaw. The conqueror's ears perked up when he heard another sound of heavy footsteps charging at him from behind; he spun around in time to knock aside the blow that Yukimura had aimed at his back. The warrior in red only twisted his spear to snag Nobunaga's blade by its guard and throw his arms into the air. The Terreran then moved to impale the conqueror, only for Nobunaga to sidestep the thrust, grab Yukimura by the wrist and throw him forward. He built on his momentum to block Ginchiyo's slash to his back, and took a step back as the two armed warriors regained their footing.

Nobunaga's dark eyes shifted between them; Ginchiyo was busy shooting him a murderous glare as she wiped away the blood dripping from her busted lip, while Yukimura's grip tightened on his weapon. He could make out Rhyperior blocking one of Zekrom's Dragon Claws with a Fire Punch while Gallade readied another Psycho Cut in the background, but turned his attention back to his own battle when the two charged. Yukimura's attack came first; the Warlord in black blocked the thrust aimed for his soldier, pushing the spear into the sand in time to deadlock with Ginchiyo's serrated blade. She applied more force into their deadlock - not enough that he could simply let go and unbalance her, like the last time they crossed blades - and Nobunaga was forced back as Yukimura threw out his spear again. Ginchiyo followed up with an uppercut - he felt the blade sail past his hair as he sidestepped it - only for Yukimura to finally land a hit on the Warlord's side. His armor absorbed the attack itself, but the spear forced his leg back into a stance that the Vioighter was quick to take advantage of.

She came down with another slash that would have succeeded in taking off his shoulder had he not pushed both their blades into the air. Yukimura saw his chance and aimed at his heart; Nobunaga broke the deadlock with a kick to Ginchiyo's knee and grabbed the shaft of Yukimura's spear before he could hit his mark. The dismay that wrote itself over the Terreran's tanned features was followed up by Nobunaga quickly pulling him forward. Having been unable to stop his charge in time, Yukimura tripped and stumbled forward at the sudden force, and lost hold of his weapon. Nobunaga brought the hilt of his blade down on the back of Yukimura's skull, followed by a slash to the back of his shoulder. Yukimura let out a choked groan as he fell into the desert, Nobunaga disinterestedly tossing his spear aside as Ginchiyo brought her sword down on the Warlord again with even more ferocity.

The Violighter's attack pushed aside the conqueror's blade and managed to land another hit on his shoulder - Ginchiyo let a small smile cross her features as she heard the satisfying sound of metal rending. Nobunaga grunted and brought his obsidian blade back up. Ginchiyo raised her sword to block - Nobunaga brought his weapon down with enough force that it knocked her sword straight out of her hands. The woman's smile disappeared in place of a gaping mouth, and Nobunaga blunted her into the ground with the pommel of his blade. His attention turned back to the battle off in the distance; Zekrom was winded, Rhyperior was exhausted and Gallade looked ready pass out. But what actually got his attention was Serperior.

The Pokémon had recovered from the blow it took earlier and slithered up behind an unsuspecting Zekrom, who was too busy engaging Shingen and Kenshin's partners to notice the new opponent. The Grass Type's leaf-shaped tail was tinted a sickly purple, and it was just waiting for the opportune moment to cut into the Legendary Pokémon's exposed back - Nobunaga knew any order or warning he would give would come too late. Zekrom raised a claw, covered with a fierce blue aura, and was about to finish off the battered Psychic Type when Serperior's tail finally lashed out and stabbed into Zekrom's back with Toxic. The Pitch Black Pokémon flinched and grunted in pain, turning around to face the newcomer. Shingen's partner took advantage of the reprieve and moved to hit the legend with another Fire Punch, Zekrom swiped away Serperior and turned back to deadlock with Rhyperior. Nobunaga felt his eyes narrow at the course of the battle.

_"We have accomplished what we came here to do; get ready to retreat,"_ the conqueror dictated through their link. He saw the Pitch Black Pokémon give a nod as it broke off its attack.

_"Where?"_ Zekrom's voice was heavy, and pounded against his head - it carried with it the indisputable power to make an ideal a reality.

_"Viperia,"_ it was only a second after his reply that Ginchiyo shot back up again with a strained yell. Her sword had been knocked too far away for her to get it - but not Yukimura's spear. She brought the weapon up with enough speed that Nobunaga barely had enough time to deflect it; instead of burying the tip of the metal in his exposed neck, Ginchiyo found herself pressing the duller crossbar against it. The Violighter felt her heart skip a beat as she caught a flicker of crimson trickling from underneath the metal, and felt the corners of her lips turning up at the thought of a victory, of defeating the Demon King. A scowl broke out across Nobunaga's face, and the next thing Ginchiyo remembered was the feeling of her teeth biting into her cheek as Nobunaga's gauntlet connected with her face. The force of the backhand made the warrior drop her borrowed weapon and stagger back; her vision was foggy and the world was spinning around her, and all she could make out was a mess of black approaching her.

Ginchiyo lurched over as Nobunaga drove his knee into her gut, the Violighter letting out a panicked rasp as the wind was knocked out of her. The woman felt him grab her wrist before she could completely drop to the ground, and did her best to keep in a shriek as she felt her arm nearly get pulled out of its socket. Ginchiyo felt her blood begin to boil as Nobunaga let out a 'hmph' and simply walked away as she hit the ground; she tried to move her hand and reach for the crimson spear only a few feet away, but the searing pain in her shoulder simply got stronger. She let her shoulder drop into the sand - it already felt like it was being pressed into the earth by a lead brick, anyhow - and tried to scream out, shout that she would not be defeated. No words came.

The only sound that managed to escape her throat was some garbled, pathetic excuse of a rasp as the pounding in her head got worse. Her vision continued to spin; she could feel the blood slowly trickling down her cheek and into the unforgiving Terreran desert and made one last futile attempt to push herself back up. Ginchiyo cursed herself for being so helpless as her eyelids got heavier and the pain in her lungs grew sharper.

As Nobunaga finally sheathed his blade and turned away from the unconscious Violighter, he was met with the sight of Motonari staring at him from across the ravaged battlefield. The man was cradling his unconscious partner - and Nobunaga was certain the serpent was truly out cold this time - but the Greenleafer's gaze was firmly fixed on him. His lips had warped themselves into a seething scowl, and his eyes burned with a silent demand for an explanation. All Nobunaga offered up was a taunting smirk as he carried on; it took every fiber in Motonari's being to resist reaching for one of the arrows tucked away in his robes and simply content himself with burning imaginary holes into the back of the conqueror's skull.

"End this. Dragon Claw," Zekrom let out a tired roar at Nobunaga's command and, mustering the last of its strength, swiped away an equally exhausted Rhyperior and Gallade. Shingen quickly moved to the side to avoid being crushed by his partner's bulky frame while Gallade managed to land on its legs, only to drop to a knee. By the time Rhyperior had managed to get back on its legs Nobunaga had already jumped on Zekrom's back; the Electric Type's turbine crackled to life and it spread its dark wings outwards.

"Don't let them escape!" Shingen yelled, hands balling into fists. "ROCK WRECKER!"

"Nemesis," Kenshin placed a firm hand on Shingen's shoulder, and the Warlord of Terrera let out a sigh and dropped his hand. A second's glance at the Pokémon and warriors scattered across the battlefield reaffirmed that there were far more pressing issues at hand, and not a moment after that Zekrom let out another roar and shot into the sky, far out of their reach.

"Do you remember where that doctor's house is?" Shingen's eyes were scanning over the blackened desert, but Kenshin nodded regardless.

"Across from the inn?" the masked Warlord nodded and started running toward Yukimura when he finally spotted him.

"Go get help from the castle, too!" Shingen shouted, motioning for Rhyperior to go check on Kunoichi as he ran over to his protégé. He paid no attention to the burst of light from behind him; the Terreran's mind went into overdrive when he saw Yukimura facedown in the desert and the bloody gash running across his upper back.

"Hang on, Yukimura," he muttered as he lifted the boy up - Shingen let out a breath when he felt him breathing. "You're my apprentice; it'll take a lot more than this to do you in."

Maybe he just needed to hear it himself, the Warlord thought in the back of his head.

Shingen turned to look back across the desert; Rhyperior, having lifted Kunoichi over its shoulder, gave him a nod and the Warlord felt another weight drop off his shoulders. His eyes drifted over to Motonari; the man had moved to help Kanbei sit up, who was the only warrior hit to still be conscious. Though by the way he was holding his leg and how his pale features were contorted in pain, Shingen guessed the tactician in black wished he wasn't. The Greenleafer said something to Kanbei that apparently gave him some measure of comfort, and then he looked up at Shingen; their eyes met - the flames in Motonari's eyes meeting Shingen's - and they both understood the true gravity of the situation. This was more than a war now.

Kazumi staggering into the center of the once-battlefield drew the Terreran's attention; at first he thought she had been hit by an attack as well from the way she nearly fell over, but from the look in her eyes he could tell it was all too much for her to take in. She and Oichi had managed to carry the unconscious Tadashi away from the action early on - Oichi was still holding him, desperately shaking his body and tearfully pleading for him to open his eyes - and only now did the Auroran actually get a chance to survey the full extent of the damage. Her sapphire orbs ran over everything; from the few people still left standing, to the multitude of Pokémon who had been thrown even further away than their partners, to the unconscious warriors themselves. When her gaze landed on Hanbei, Shingen thought for a moment that she was about to run over to him - instead she took a final look back at her brother before her legs buckled underneath her.

Kazumi's sobs grew louder as she threw a few desperate punches into the sand, like it would undo everything that had just happened. Shingen and Motonari both watched on helplessly as the Auroran continued to cry - it was difficult to tell how much time passed, but eventually her sobs just dissolved into shaky breaths that wracked her whole body. Her hands then balled into fists and her head shot up to look at the empty expanse that Nobunaga and Zekrom had faded into. Kazumi slowly got back up, and after a few seconds of seething at the sky, finally yelled out the conqueror's name at the top of her lungs.

Shingen knew an even bigger storm was coming.


	34. Chapter 34

The stench of Viperia's bogs met Nobunaga's nose long before its castle came into view.

Zekrom was flying lower than either of them were accustomed to; it might have produced a bit more strain on the Legendary than simply gliding at a higher altitude, but it would also be much easier to land if the Toxic circulating through the Pokémon's bloodstream proved too much to handle. Patience always left the deepest wounds.

They were still soaring high enough to stay away from the toxic fumes that would plague the swampier parts of the Kingdom, which Nobunaga decided was the last thing Zekrom needed as the wooden castle got closer and closer. Nene and a few Viperian ninja were already waiting for him in the castle's courtyard - it was rather impossible to miss him with the sky as clear as it was, and news always traveled quickly in Viperia. All warriors present immediately took the knee as soon as Zekrom landed, and the conqueror wasted no time in dismounting.

"Lord Nobunaga," Nene barely restrained the hiss that tried to force its way into her voice. "What do I owe the occasion?"

"An antidote," his voice was a little quicker than she remembered from their last encounter - it all clicked together when she looked up and saw the burns and cuts across Zekrom. Nene heard Nobunaga's hand go to the hilt of his blade only a second after she spared a glance at the wheezing Legend. "Posthaste."

The Viperian spared a second to run through her options - and their outcomes - before nodding in the direction of one of her subordinates. The man replied with one of his own and quickly fled back into the castle, and she did her best to maintain eye contact with the other Warlord. Nobunaga's grip on his blade grew tighter as the seconds slowly dragged on, and Nene was beginning to feel a strong desire to take a deep breath from the knots that were building in her stomach. No words were spoken; she instead heard the faint sounds of Zekrom's breathing and Nobunaga's boot grating against the wood underneath. Nene could feel her heart slowly sinking into her stomach.

The warrior she sent back into the castle finally returned; Nobunaga's eyes stayed firmly fixed on the woman. The warrior then dropped to his knee in front of Nobunaga and offered up the salve and gauze like it was tribute. The conqueror's face remained unmoving.

"Apply it to the wound on the back," the ninja nodded and quickly moved behind Zekrom; Nobunaga's hand remained fixed on his sword, but he took a single step back to watch them out of his periphery vision - the movement came off like a clap of thunder to Nene. The Warlord's focus was diverted from the pain in her kneecap when Zekrom snarled and flapped out its ebony wings, but since the conqueror made no moves she only assumed it was the initial sting of the medicine. The Viperian took a deep breath and tried to stop the sudden pains in her chest as the seconds continued to drag on.

Finally she heard Nobunaga's hand fall to his side - by now she was trying to count the knots in the floorboards - and looked up in time to see the conqueror climb back onto his partner. Their eyes met one final time, and for a second she thought he was about to thank her before Zekrom shot into the air. The Legendary Pokemon was out of sight by the time she tried to look for it.

Nene waited another minute for good measure and then finally allowed herself to exhale and grasp for breath. The Warlord slowly started to stand, only for her legs to nearly buckle underneath her. She knew it wasn't from the kneeling. Fighting Nobunaga on the battlefield was bad enough - at least there was the adrenaline rush to back her up - but facing him off of it was nearly suffocating. She silently prayed she would never have to relive this experience, while Crobat took the opportunity to fly down from its perch and help her stand back up. She gave the Bat Pokémon a pat on the head and a silent 'thank you'; it was all she could give, as it hurt too much to try to form any words.

She sent the Pokémon into the forest surrounding them mere moments before her _lord_ had come into view; had something gone awry, it would have been in a perfect position to swoop down. But, deep down, Nene knew it was only a hollow gesture to give her some illusion of control within her own kingdom; she had seen the scars Kotaro had from trying something similar (and if she didn't know better, she would have thought he winced when he recounted the incident to her back in Cragspur).

"Milady," the Warlord heard one of the nearby warriors say when she stumbled on her way back into the castle - Crobat caught her and she kept a firm grip on the Pokémon's claws.

"I'm fine," she lied through a shaky breath, waving off her subordinates concerns. They were shinobi; trained from childhood to mask their thoughts, their concerns, their weaknesses - she was as angry at herself for being so easily cowed, and in front of those who depended on her no less. Nene took no consolation in the fact that she handled the situation better than any of them.

From his place in the keep's top story, Hideyoshi finally tore himself away from the fingerprint-stained window as Nene and her entourage resumed their trek.

"Yikes..." Hideyoshi felt a shiver run down his spine as he turned around. His Monferno was still leaning against the glass, watching as the Viperians staggered back into the castle. "And I thought Kanbei was scary in a showdown..."

The exiled Warlord's eyes ran over the other warriors in Viperia's throne room. "Didja see that?"

Koroku, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed, shot to attention. Hideyoshi suppressed a snicker. Yoshitsugu, sitting in the middle of the room and idly drawing a brush across a piece of paper, looked up at hearing the sudden movement. His grey eyes scanned over the general area that Koroku was standing in - the warrior just looked to the side nervously and then let out a breath when Yoshitsugu's attention returned to the paper below.

"Yes," the young warrior replied unenthusiastically, and then went back to moving his brush in a seemingly random fashion. The ex-Warlord let a small smile cross his features at the scene.

"I could feel it all the way up here..." Sakon was the only other person in the room standing close to a window; he was still looking at the sky through his, like what they had just witnessed was the calm before the storm. The tactician finally tore himself away from the view. "That... presence isn't natural."

"Yeah..." Hideyoshi's reply was more lackadaisical; a hand was resting against his chin as he glanced up at the ceiling. Everyone else in the room felt a wave of unease wash over them. Koroku was the first to clear his voice - he had been around Hideyoshi's flights of fancy the longest.

"My lord, you can't possibly be considering-"

"Yep!" a wide grin had broken out across Hideyoshi's face, and he clasped his hands together. Sakon gulped. "Let's finish up this contract quickly so we can hit the road. Winter'll kick in soon and I want to get to Dragnor before the mountain passes start freezing over."

"Do you even know what you're going after, sir?" Yoshitsugu asked after a quiet sigh. Hideyoshi nodded and turned back to the window.

"Nobunaga has the power, and more importantly the resources, to help make my dream a reality," his grin grew a little wider. "'Sides, I figure joining Nobunaga will give me the chance to cross wits with rival a few more times..."

The ex-Warlord then spun around, his partner hopping up on his shoulders. Hideyoshi ignored the sudden pain and pointed in his oldest retainer's direction. "Koroku! Get the men ready! Sakon, start packing! Yoshitsugu, let Lady Nene know in advance! I want to head out the moment we finish up our contract!"

"Sir!" Hideyoshi watched as his retainers quickly scrambled out the room, and clasped his hands together. He could see the future ahead; and beyond the steep cliffs of Avia's mountains were the first steps into it.

* * *

Kazumi looked down at the form of her brother. His eyes were closed, hair disheveled, and almost all the color had been drained from his face.

Were it not for the shallow breaths and how the bed sheets faintly moved with them, she would have assumed he was dead.

It wasn't that far from the truth, she knew.

The Warlord's hands balled into fists and she felt her teeth start to grind at the memories; of watching that doctor and his Pokémon rush around the room, grabbing everything they could to help treat the electrical burns and keep him conscious (they had managed to drag a few whimpers out of him, along with the occasional wince - like he was a Growlithe that had just been kicked to the curb - and the sight of it made her sick to her stomach), of dragging his body away as Zekrom roared behind them and unleashed burst after burst of lightning, of watching helplessly as he was nearly electrocuted to death by a madman to save Oichi.

Kazumi could feel her eyes narrow at the name. She didn't know what to think of the girl now; Oichi was their oldest ally, the one who had stood by them since their first day as Warlords and helped them climb higher. Not once did she mention that she was the sister of the very person she was encouraging them to fight; the news spread had like wildfire and already there were whispers the entire thing had been orchestrated by Nobunaga to remove the largest roadblock to his expansion. The fact that Oichi couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with her and had cloistered herself away wasn't helping. And, deep down, Kazumi knew she needed someone to hold responsible; Nobunaga was too far away and Oichi had been the one to rally them against him. (The quiet objection in the back of her head saying that they would have ended up fighting him regardless fell on deaf ears.)

She heard a quiet groan come from below, and Kazumi's eyes immediately returned to Tadashi's sleeping figure. His teeth were clinched and he threw his head to the side - Kazumi instinctively reached out, but let her arm fall to her side when the Auroran relaxed.

"Brother..." the Warlord swallowed a shaky gulp and pressed her hand against her chest. "I-I'll fix this... I'll make sure Nobunaga pays."

The hesitation melted out of her voice, replaced by the same fire she could feel in her veins. "I swear it."

* * *

Kanbei sighed - it wasn't one of his usual sighs done in annoyance, but an altogether despondent one. Hanbei cracked an eye open (even at the ungodly hour, sleep eluded him); he was leaning back on the bench the two were seated on, head in his hands while they waited for Kazumi to come out of Terrera's infirmary, and frowned at the sight next to him. The other tactician's chalky lips were shaky, and he was staring down at his outstretched leg in utter disdain. It was the most emotion Hanbei had felt from him in years, let alone seen. Kanbei's grip around the cane laying idly to the side tightened and he tried to push himself upright to no avail.

"I'm too young to be using one of these..." the albino finally moaned out after a long sigh. Hanbei just looked down; normally some quip would have come to his mind that would have lightened their spirits, some consoling thought, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Not after seeing how downright pathetic his best friend looked. A few more seconds of uncomfortable quiet passed - Hanbei had to wonder if Kanbei was also betting on him saying something, anything to make what they had just walked out of seem less than it was, and Hanbei could only get angry at himself for failing at that too - and the tactician in white finally cleared his throat.

"Thanks," he said uncomfortably, while Kanbei raised an eyebrow like he was completely oblivious.

"For what?" Hanbei took a glance down at his counterpart's leg, and he could make out the outline of the splint locking it into place from underneath his robes.

"Saving me," the tactician in black just let out a huff and looked to the side.

"You're imagining things," Hanbei felt the ghost of a grin break out across his face, along with a few memories of their time in Hideyoshi's service.

"The doctor said all I had was a mild concussion and some nasty scrapes," he could see Kanbei stiffen slightly. "But that couldn't have been right since I was standing in front of you and right in Zekrom's path. Unless, of course-"

"Ginchiyo did it," Kanbei cut in, trying to avoid meeting Hanbei's gaze as he said it. The other tactician couldn't help the snort that came out; internally, he was berating himself for not taking the situation with enough decorum (not to mention Ginchiyo's injuries were no laughing matter), but he found a more genuine smile return to his face at the reply.

"Well, just let her know I'm in her debt," he wondered for a moment if he caught Kanbei's lips twitching upwards.

"I'm certain she would say that she was only doing her duty," Hanbei chuckled.

"Yeah, that does sound like something she would say..." the tactician's smile grew a little wider. "She does have a reputation to uphold, after all."

The air of calm Hanbei found himself basking in was shattered when he heard the door next to him slowly creak open. He looked up as Kazumi walked out and, from the dead stare in her eyes and her sluggish movements, contemplated if he should recommend resting for the rest of the day. But then she snapped to life, spared a glance down at the two of them - he felt a chill run down his spine at how sharp it was - and strode by them.

"We're late for the meeting," Hanbei resisted the urge to comment that was because of their detour - though he doubted that anyone besides Motonari would be on time given it was still the crack of dawn - as he stood, while Kanbei grunted as he grabbed his cane and slowly pushed himself up. The tactician in white did his best to stifle a yawn as they made their way to Terrera's war room - really, he doubted anyone had managed to get a wink of sleep last night, himself included - and was met with the sight of Motonari and Kenshin already seated, waiting for them. No words were exchanged as the three took their seats, Kanbei's broken tibia leaving him as the last to settle into his chair. Between that and some bruised ribs (Hanbei was still amazed that the doctor had his Kadabra use Miracle Eye to look inside the broken warriors who were his patients, while Kazumi had just been disgusted at the notion), he was grateful Kanbei had also been released last night with a relatively clean bill of health.

Hanbei quietly coughed as the minutes started to drag on. Kazumi was staring into space (he had a good idea what was on her mind), Kanbei was resting his eyes, and Kenshin was staring ahead with that same stony expression Hanbei had come to expect from him. He wouldn't be surprised if smiling actually caused the Illusite some form of physical pain, the tactician mused as he desperately grasped for something to take his mind off the wait. The only other sound in the room to keep his thoughts occupied was the occasional clink from Motonari as he sipped his tea, and even that was slowly starting to bear down on the Ignite's patience. It was only when he finally resolved to say something did the doors swing open and the final absentee entered.

"Sorry," was all Shingen said as he walked into the room and took his seat. Hanbei understood the unsaid explanation from how bleak his voice was; they had probably missed the Warlord's appearance at the ward by only a few minutes.

"Lady Kazumi," she blinked when Motonari called out her name. "Now that everyone is present..."

"Right..." she muttered. She took a glance over the table, trying to ignore the lull of her eyelids, and her gaze landed on the chair her brother had sat in yesterday. Yesterday, when they had talked like there wasn't a care in the world. Kazumi shook those thoughts out of her head and finally closed her eyes. Sentimentality had no place; not here, not now.

"We'll return to Chrysalia and rally our forces - we advance on Cragspur tomorrow," though his face was obscured by his mask, Kazumi got the feeling Shingen had just raised an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow?" the Auroran could tell he was trying to keep his voice calm. "Look lassie, I know you're eager to settle the score, but-"

"This isn't just about revenge," the way she said it - eyes narrowed, teeth almost bared, and fingernails digging half-moons into her palms - did little to convince Shingen. "The last thing they'll expect from us is to fight back immediately!"

Shingen sighed. "That'll be the _first_ thing Nobunaga will expect you-"

"So we just sit back, lick our wounds and wait for him to return with an entire army!?" Hanbei nearly flinched when Kazumi stood up and slammed her hands onto the table - fortunately, Motonari cleared his throat before anything else could happen.

"If I might offer my thoughts," no one objected, so Motonari continued. In the back of her mind, while waiting for him to begin, Kazumi found herself envying how the Greenleafer could be calm even under the circumstances surrounding him.

"While Nobunaga might expect us to make a move, I doubt the same can be said for his generals," Motonari's eyes flickered downwards for a second. "Nobunaga came alone - I don't know if he told anyone what he was about to do, but there were no reports of movement on his side beforehand, and not even a day has passed. If we strike back quickly enough - and organized enough - I doubt they'll be able to put up an effective resistance."

A cynical 'humph' escaped from Shingen's closed lips, but from the way he was cradling his chin in his hands Kazumi could tell he was genuinely pondering Motonari's words.

"All right," he began, but the Warlord of Aurora knew better than to get her hopes up. "Let's say you're right and that Dragnor as a whole isn't prepared. And supposing, even with what had just happened, we can attack tomorrow, what's stopping Nobunaga from flying back down? I doubt he'll just ignore a direct attack on his front line."

"We split our forces and attack Avia at the same time," Kazumi had beaten the Greenleafer to the punch, but he just smiled and gave a nod of approval before Shingen could raise another counterpoint - the obvious one of dividing their forces.

"Indeed. While it would be obvious cover for the attack on Cragspur, Avia is closer to Dragnor and losing it would greatly weaken Nobunaga's ability to control the other kingdoms of the southwest," Shingen frowned at Motonari's reasoning.

"All the more reason for him to rush back down," the grassy-haired man nodded.

"Which is why I and the rest of Greenleaf will accompany Lord Kenshin in his attack on Avia," that managed to get the attention of everyone at the table (Hanbei let out a silent sigh at that; Kazumi had been staring holes into Shingen from across the table, whose brooding gaze returned it twofold, so at least the tension that was slowly reaching a boiling point was gone for the moment). "Which should be sufficient to keep Valora or Viperia from arriving in Cragspur as reinforcements, and without them I doubt that Yaksha or Viperia will jump at the chance to lend a hand. We'll march from Chrysalia into Illusio to make them think Avia is the true target, and from there our main force will break off and rendezvous with you at Cragspur. If all goes according to schedule, we should be able to march by first light tomorrow."

Shingen just let out a sigh and glanced down at the table, twirling imaginary circles into the wood with his finger as he mulled over the situation. Kazumi leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, but both tacticians sitting besides her could tell that she had settled down as well.

"Fine," the Terreran finally croaked out, and the Warlord of Aurora looked back up.

"So it's settled?" Shingen gave a weak nod.

"Yes, but we'll have to work quickly. I've already suffered enough casualties, and I don't want any more from having to retreat," Shingen could practically feel the frown worming its way onto his face. _"If Ujiyasu does anything Tauros-headed..."_

"Agreed," Kazumi's reply was curt, and the masked man suspected that was the first thing they agreed upon all morning.

"We should probably head back to Chrysalia now if we want to return by noon, milady," Shingen blinked at the voice - it took him a second to realize it came from Kanbei. The brunette nodded and stood; her two tacticians quickly followed suit.

"Right," she turned to the door, but quickly stopped herself and looked back down at the man in red. The Terreran didn't even give her a chance to voice her thought.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of your brother and your friend," for a split-second Kazumi thought he was talking about Oichi - she felt her anger begin to flare up at the thought of leaving her behind in Terrera, and she didn't know whether to chastise herself for the thought or go ahead with it - but quickly realized he was talking about Ginchiyo. All the twin could offer was a silent, curt nod with as much sincerity she could muster to Shingen; he gave one back, and she quickly strode out of the room.

"I should probably head out myself," Motonari said with a small smile as he stood. "I'm sorry to impose upon you like this, Lord Shingen, but I do believe this course of action will be the best to avoid any more, eh, _incidents,_ " Shingen just nodded wearily at the euphemism - he knew that, combined with the Aurorans, they could probably take anything Nobunaga could throw at them at this point (and he sincerly doubted it was humanly possible for the conqueror to get any stronger than he already was at this point), but he wasn't keen on seeing a repeat of yesterday either.

"Thanks for playing peacekeeper," Shingen didn't know how to describe the look that flashed over Motonari's face, but from it he could guess that he wasn't a stranger to assuming that role before (though he suspected this was probably the first time the Greenleafer had been thanked for it). But the expression - surprise, maybe? - quickly faded in the way of an empathetic smile and Motonari scratching the back of his head.

"It's only natural that tensions would be high," the Greenleafer said before giving a small bow and leaving the room. Shingen's attention turned to the final person in the room.

"How's Gallade?" Kenshin blinked and turned to met his nemesis' gaze; even after all the years Shingen knew him, it was still hard for him to tell whether Kenshin was paying attention or in one of his trances (at least he had stopped falling asleep with his eyes open - that would always unnerve the Terreran).

"Well rested," the Illusite replied in what were likely his first words of the day. "Rhyperior?"

"I left him to keep an eye on Yukimura and Kunoichi," Shingen yawned out. "I'm not going to push him after the beating we took yesterday."

Kenshin nodded in understanding - when they battled together, Rhyperior would usually take the role of shield to Gallade's sword. And Zekrom was no laughing matter.

"You should probably get ready yourself," it was early in the morning; neither of them were in the mood for a protracted conversation. Not that Kenshin was talkative to begin with. The Warlord of Illusio just let out a huff and nodded. Shingen could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of working with Motonari; the way he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes with a little more edge than usual was a dead giveaway that he was thinking about more than just the upcoming battle. While Shingen could emphasize - he had a feeling his new ally was going to be a handful - the last thing they needed right now was to be at each others throats.

Kenshin, by whatever means, seemed to understand Shingen's thoughts and gave a relenting nod before leaving himself. The Terreran watched him go, then sat back in his chair and stared up at the Takeda banner hanging over the door to the war room - he let out a sigh and wondered if he still had a right to be bearing it after all his failings. Shingen finally chased away those thoughts with a firm shake of the head - while perhaps deciding to go check on Kunoichi and Yukimura wasn't the best way to assuage those fears, he swallowed his pride and simply repeated to himself that he had to carry on (a mantra he found himself repeating countless times over the decades).

* * *

"Hey, Princess?" Oichi nearly shot out of her skin when she heard the door creak open, but was too terrified to turn around - the nickname was what did it for her after a second of tense silence. From her place in the center of the room that Shingen had given her, hunched over practically every book about medicine and Electric Types she could find in the castle, the girl cast a wary glance over her shoulder at Hanbei's voice - his face, like his voice, was devoid of any hostility.

"Princess?" she found it odd that was the first word to escape her mouth, and the tactician just smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek.

"Well, you are Nobunaga's sister, I mean," he let out an equally-awkward chuckle, and Oichi realized he was just trying to tell her he bared no ill-will; meant no harm. (And, knowing Hanbei, Oichi suspected it was also his attempt to cheer her up - she appreciated the thought, even if her skin crawled at the reminder.) Oichi just sighed and turned back to the section on electrical burns that she had been reading, while the warrior in white sighed and let his arm drop to his side.

"Anyways, I'm just here to tell you that we'll be heading back to Chrysalia in the hour."

"All right," Oichi tried to keep her voice level as possible, but Hanbei still heard the strain in it - he could tell that was really the last thing she needed on her mind at the moment.

"You're not coming back with us, are you?" Oichi's shoulders stiffened, but it was a welcome distraction from the stifling silence that had fallen over the room again. The girl let out a breath and dropped her head, but she still looked as tense as a coiled Ekans.

"No," the Auroran finally coughed out. "I... I think it would be better if I stayed here and tried to help out."

Hanbei's lips straightened into an apprehensive glower.

"Look," his mind raved over all the possible ways to word his thoughts before the raven-haried tactician just settled on being blunt. "What happened back there wasn't your fault."

Hanbei practically heard something in Oichi snap. She shot up and spun around - the tears he saw beginning to form in her eyes were like a punch to the gut, and it might as well have been with the way her hands were balled up - and Hanbei immediately regretted bringing the topic up.

"OF COURSE IT IS!" Oichi roared - memories of Zekrom from yesterday briefly flashed across Hanbei's vision - before quickly dropping her head and trying to hide her tears as she saw the look across Hanbei's face.

"I-If," her breaths were shaky, voice wracked by more doubt than he had ever heard in his life. "If I had just never come... If I hadn't been there..."

"Would it have really turned out differently?" the auburn-haired girl looked up at him; Hanbei didn't know just what exactly was in her brown eyes, but it was some sort of frenetic desperation, silently screaming out and begging for anything to hold onto. It made the pain in his stomach all the more sharper. Oichi's lips trembled.

"Nobunaga would have never ordered Zekrom to attack- Tadashi wouldn't have- It-" her voice only started to get more choked up.

"Would have still turned into a battle," Hanbei let out a sigh. "I don't think Nobunaga came to talk, and his actions were his own."

Oichi shook her head fervently, hair whipping out from side to side. Hanbei could practically feel the conflict and guilt oozing out of her, and it almost made him nauseous.

"Lord Tadashi... Ginchiyo... Yukimura and Kunoichi, too," her eyes darted to the side - the tactician could make out Jigglypuff's sleeping form next to a small pile of scrolls, and for a moment he thought she was going to reach out and grab the Pokémon. Oichi's arms just stayed limp by her side as another shaky breath snuck its way past her lips. "My presence has already caused enough damage, and I know Lady Kazumi is furious."

"I can't really blame her..." she whispered. Hanbei finally decided to sit down across from her - their eyes met, the pale sunlight of dawn giving his purple an almost translucent quality.

"You can't run from this forever," he finally said after a few moments of quiet. Hanbei heard a gulp, and saw her shift slightly before giving a weak nod.

"I owe Lord Tadashi an explanation first," her voice was weak - it was like she had just swallowed the last of her strength, and he heard it crack as she opened her mouth again. "No. I owe him more than that now."

The tactician in white just nodded understandingly, and fought the urge to say anything more when he heard another sniffle, and settled for standing back up.

"I'll let Lady Kazumi know you're going to help out around here for a while," Oichi gave a nod in gratitude.

"Hanbei?" he stopped mid turn to look back at her.

"Yes?"

"If... If you had to tell Lady Kazumi that you used to be Spectra's Junior Warlord-"

"How would I explain it?" Oichi nodded weakly, and Hanbei suppressed the urge to sigh. The Ignite wondered for a moment how she knew about his past, but quickly brushed aside the thought; of course she would have known (not to mention purple is not an eye color normally seen outside of Spectra).

"I..." he found himself pursing his lips. "I left years ago. Couldn't stand Nobunaga's complete disregard for the people under him."

"But how would you explain it?"

Hanbei opened his mouth only to find the words catch in his throat. How would he say it? He seriously doubted going up to Kazumi and just telling her that he used to be an officer in the army of the man who just electrocuted her brother would go over well right now, nevermind the fact that he never saw the need to say anything (and, personally, he would have preferred just forgetting about that graveyard of a kingdom and everything it stood for). The tactician suddenly felt his confidence sink into the bog of his stomach.

Hanbei let out a breath and gave an empathetic nod as he left. Oichi returned to her books and hung her head.

* * *

When Shingen pushed open the door to the infirmary, the Auroran Army having departed some hour prior, he was met with three sights. The first was from where his eyes had instinctively drifted to; Rhyperior was slouched down in the chair seated between Kunoichi and Yukimura's beds, and for a moment Shingen had to wonder how either could sleep through the Pokémon's snoring. The second was of Luxio looking up at him from the foot of Ginchiyo's bed, and returning to its nap after deciding the Terreran wasn't a threat. The third was Oichi leaning over the still-resting Tadashi and applying some salve to the splotches on his shoulder. She looked up at hearing his heavy footsteps and the creak of the floorboards; he just gave a nod in her direction, eyes too firmly fixed on Yukimura and Kunoichi to see her return it.

Yukimura groaned and managed to crack his eyes open as Shingen drew closer - the Warlord had to wonder for a moment if his protégé had trained himself to always go to attention whenever he heard him - and tried to sit up.

"Don't push yourself," he ordered, and Yukimura crashed back into his overstuffed pillow after the pain that shot across his upper back proved to be too much to handle. "You took quite a beating yesterday."

The Junior Warlord's gaze sunk a little, and Shingen let a small smile cross his face as he moved to stand at his bedside (he wasn't going to try to unseat Rhyperior, despite the objections from his lower back).

"Also put up one heck of a fight, too," Yukimura looked up at the compliment, a bit of color returning to his otherwise exhausted features. "You distracted Nobunaga long enough for us to send him packing!"

The masked Warlord let a hearty chuckle sputter past his lips, along with a silent prayer it wouldn't wake Kunoichi. Yukimura shifted a little, and Shingen caught him trying to move one of his legs out of the bed.

"Lord Shingen, I-"

"Save your energy, son," the bedridden warrior nodded reluctantly and slowly sunk back into the mattress. "Doctor said you shouldn't try to move too much until that gash heals."

The Terreran looked down at the bandages that were tied firmly across his chest.

"They itch," he commented disinterestedly, like it was the worst of his problems. Shingen let out another chuckle.

"Well, rest some more and you won't have to worry about that. We can play some chess later tonight, if you're up for it," Yukimura just gave another weak nod before closing his eyes, like it was more of an order than an offer. Shingen then turned to Kunoichi; she was still asleep, but he could make out the faint crease in her brow and the twitch in her lips as she tossed in her sleep. The Warlord could feel his lips force themselves into a frown at the sight - he didn't know what was worse; her broken ribcage or the bloody gash trailing itself across Yukimura's back. Either way, Shingen silently resolved that there would not be a repeat of this; he refused to allow his anger any more sway than it already had (that always led to rash action, and _that_ was something he had come to abhor after years of them), but the Warlord found his resolve to march strengthened.

"Why..." Shingen's attention turned to the only other person conscious in the room; Oichi was busy changing the bandages on his shoulder with fresh ones, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"He wouldn't want you to be beating up on yourself, you know," Shingen's voice - a little less enthused than usual - caused her to look up. "He took that Thunderbolt for you. You shouldn't let Nobunaga do any more damage than he's already done."

Oichi's brow knitted together, and her lips parted, but the only thing that managed to escape her mouth was a quiet gasping sound before she gave a resigned nod and returned to tending to Tadashi. Shingen could tell she was far from convinced.

"Do you know how I became Terrera's Warlord?"

"You chased out your father, right?" Shingen nodded as he took a glance back in Kunoichi and Yukimura's direction.

"That's the short version, yeah," it was also how his and Kenshin's rivalry started - back when the Illusite had tasked himself with punishing all of Ransei's ne'er-do-wells and Shingen's body count had been too high for Kenshin to ignore - but the Terreran saw no need to mention that. "The longer version is that it was only after a year-long civil war that I managed to pull that off."

Shingen's voiced dropped. "My father, were he still around today, would make Nobunaga look benevolent."

"I find that hard to believe," came Oichi's absentminded reply as she moved to some of the burns on Tadashi's forearm.

"Nobunaga doesn't attack his own citizens for fun, does he?" she gave no reply and didn't turn to meet his gaze, but from the way her grip on the salve had slipped for a brief second it was plain for Shingen to see that had caught her by surprise.

"Me and some of the other retainers got fed up with his tyranny and decided launching a coup ourselves was a better alternative to sitting around and waiting for one to happen," Shingen felt his eyes narrowing at the memory. "Well, dad was just as brutal on the field as he was off of it, and I lost a lot of officers."

Because he was afraid of showing weakness, and more concerned with winning than the lives of his soldiers, back when battles were still fought in part with swords and spears (the image of Kansuke stumbling back into camp, apologizing as he tried to stop the bleeding from the gash across his stomach was still burned into his mind, and it was that memory that had pushed him so hard to advocate for the shift to Pokémon as the mainstay in warfare). Shingen took another glance back in Yukimura's direction before letting out a sigh.

"I won, and _father_ ," the Terreran tried to avoid spitting the word out. "Tried to stab me during his sentencing."

Because he was so sure of himself that he decided to ignore Masayuki's warnings and turn the trial into a spectacle for a war-weary Terrera desperate to hold someone responsible - the masked Warlord's lips strained themselves into a frown. "Yukimura's father jumped in front of me; I've taken care of the kid since then."

Oichi finally took her eyes away from Tadashi, brown eyes immediately glancing over at Shingen's sleeping protégé before looking back at the Warlord - he could tell that she was beginning to understand what he was getting at, even if she didn't want to forgive herself.

"Don't let your lord's sacrifice be in vain; learn from this and march on," the Terreran turned to leave, but Oichi clearing her throat caused him to stop in his tracks.

"When... When you and Kenshin visited Chrysalia, why didn't you say anything?"

Shingen put a hand to the door.

"It wasn't a good time," granted, the Warlord in red doubted there was ever a good time to bring up _that_ topic. "And you had finally found what you were looking for. I wasn't going to try to tear that away from you."

Shingen then pushed the door open, feeling he had said more than enough for the day, and Oichi wordlessly returned to treating Tadashi.

* * *

Dosetsu was concerned.

Worry was not something he was a stranger to; as both former marshal and Warlord of Violight, he had more than his fair share of it.

But he had not been outright concerned about something in a very long time.

A day had passed by without any word from the twins; their party was small, but he was confident that they would make it to Terrera in one piece (especially with Ginchiyo accompanying them). The Violighter hadn't been particularly concerned about one extra day, either - while some more outlandish scenarios ranging from kidnapping to treachery ran through his head as explanations, he simply chalked it up to them needing more time to decide on a proper plan.

The half-paralyzed man became concerned when they finally returned and he only saw half of them - and between Kanbei's new cane, his daughter's absence, and the fact that Kazumi had stormed into Chrysalia's training room with the force of a whirlwind and left behind only a brusque order to not be disturbed, the task of explaining what happened to him and Muneshige fell to Motonari. He didn't know exactly what to feel as the Greenleafer uncomfortably relived the experience; pride at how well Ginchiyo had fought, anger at Nobunaga, or frustration that they would be marching out tomorrow (he was pretty sure some surprise at Oichi's origins had managed to sneak its way in there, but that was the last thing on the Violighter's mind).

Hours later, with the sun starting to dip behind Chrysalia's hills, Dosetsu was still conflicted even as he made the journey to the wooden fort on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't a terribly long trip - fifteen minutes tops, twenty or so with his leg - and Luxray was trotting behind him as usual, but he couldn't shake that lingering feeling of trepidation as he drew nearer and nearer to it.

After the twins and their group had left, Yoshihiro had hit upon the brilliant idea to convert the structure into a barracks for Pugilis; seeing as there had been nothing else to do until the Aurorans returned, Motochika and the rest of Fontaine had joined in as well. What had once been rickety logs held together with rope and a skeletal tower was now a solid palisade complete with guard towers and a keep that actually had walls - Dosetsu found himself admiring their handiwork a second too long for Luxray's tastes, and the Pokémon nudged him forward with a gentle tap to his good knee.

The first thing that met him as he stepped into the camp - none of the guards made any moves to stop him - was the sound of Motochika's shamisen. He quickly located the source of it; a small campfire that the Warlords of Fontaine and Pugilis were seated around. Motochika was quietly humming a tune as he played while Yoshihiro silently sipped from the cup in his hand. Dosetsu cleared his throat as he hobbled over; neither had noticed him yet.

"You two don't mind if I join?" Yoshihiro just shrugged as he downed his cup and reached for flask sitting against the crate he was on, while Motochika stopped playing long enough to motion to one of the boxes seated around the faint flames.

"Thanks," the Violighter slowly took his seat, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon settling down at the base of his feet.

"I think I have spare cup lyin' around here somewhere..." Yoshihiro muttered as he poured himself another glass. Dosetsu just raised a hand.

"I'd rather not tonight," the Pugilite let out a huff.

"Sounds like Motonari's rubbing off on you..." Motochika decided to strike a chord to accompany the quip - Dosetsu could practically feel Luxray rolling his eyes. The man just sighed.

"Do you know why I made the trek out here, Yoshihiro?"

The Warlord in question took another swig from his glass. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say it has something to do with what happened at Terrera?"

Dosetsu gave a firm nod, but Yoshihiro just waved off the stony look that had fallen over the Violighter's face. "Still don't trust me, Dosetsu?"

"After decades of fighting with Violight and nearly driving Aurora to the brink of destruction?" Dosetsu raised an eyebrow when a chuckle escaped Yoshihiro's lips.

"Then you should've known by now that if even half of what I heard about Nobunaga earlier today is true, the thought of fighting him alone makes working alongside you and Violight worth it," the retired Warlord gave a nod, but it was plain for everyone to see he was far from satisfied.

"I'll hold you to that," Dosetsu shifted his weight to his cane - Luxray took that as its cue to stand up. "The two of you will be in the vanguard for the attack on Cragspur - I'd suggest you turn in early since we leave at dawn."

The Violighter finally stood and took his leave, not even bothering to look back as he heard Motochika laugh and Yoshihiro start giving orders to the few warriors who had stopped to watch the scene unfold. There was too much to do and too little time to do it.

* * *

While a day of nonstop training and a sleepless night had done little to improve Kazumi's mood, Hanbei could tell that she had calmed herself. Perhaps it was just Illusio - his jaw had nearly come off at its hinges at the sight of a Kingdom made up of floating crystals, and the Ignite felt some strange sense of relief wash over him the closer they got to the Psychic Kingdom's castle - but there seemed to be an air of serenity to her that hadn't been there before.

Their stop in Illusio wasn't supposed to be particularly long; just enough for Kenshin to send a messenger to Shingen and for Greenleaf to make their preparations before heading out. But seeing as they still had a few minutes, Kazumi had wanted to take a better look at the various levitating formations they spotted on their way in (one of which the castle itself was built on); Kanetsugu volunteered to give them a short tour around the castle grounds.

"So, I'm guessing that they're able to float because of the Kingdom's Psychic energy?" Hanbei chimed in as Kenshin's apprentice brought them to the base of one of the pink crystals - he tried to not look too much like a tourist and gape dumbly at the sights around him (he swore some of those crystals were big enough to be battlegrounds), but from the way Kanbei had rolled his eyes the moment he had started looking around Hanbei could guess he was failing miserably.

"A good guess, but a bit off," Kanetsugu replied as he looked up at the giant formation. "We originally thought that ourselves, but that raised the natural question of why didn't everything in Illusio float?"

"Because the crystals conducted the energy better?" Hanbei offered up. While he wasn't a Psychic by any stretch (though sometimes he suspected Kanbei secretly was), he had read enough to have a basic understanding of how they worked - not that it was an exact science by any stretch of the imagination. The Illusite shook his head.

"Actually, we believe that the crystals give off the energy themselves," the tactician was now too interested in the phenomenon to notice Kazumi perk up at Kanetsugu's reply.

"That still doesn't explain how they float," Kanetsugu rested a hand on his chin.

"We're, uh, still looking into that part..." he admitted sheepishly, turning back around to gaze at one floating rocks like the answer was hidden in plain sight. Only then did Hanbei notice Kazumi walking up to the base of it.

"Would you mind if I tried something?" the Auroran had already passed Kanetsugu when she asked, but he offered up a quiet "sure" regardless. Hanbei immediately understood her intentions when she lifted the Eevee in her arms up to the crystal - Kanbei just raised an eyebrow while Kanetsugu took an instinctive step forward.

"Go ahead Eevee; touch it," the Pokémon let out a chirp and lifted up its paw to the smooth surface - a second passed before Eevee cried out its name as a brilliant light enveloped it. Kazumi squeezed her eyes shut and nearly stumbled back at the sudden burst of light; Hanbei looked on in awe, Kanetsugu gaped, while Kanbei remained unmoved. Kazumi quickly let her partner down and took a step back; she opened her eyes just in time to see the light disperse, and leave a pink Psychic Type staring back up at her.

"An Espeon..." the Warlord heard Kanetsugu mutter from behind her - she was too busy staring into the Sub Pokémon's lavender orbs to pay particular attention to him. Espeon - that would taking some getting used to - tilted its head in her direction and flicked its pronged tail to the side, and Kazumi felt herself slowly getting lightheaded.

"Milady?" Hanbei finally asked after clearing his throat. Kazumi blinked and quickly regained her bearings, turning back around to the three confused Junior Warlords. "You've been staring off into space for a few minutes."

The Auroran shook her head and then quickly raised a hand to her forehead like it would chase away the headache quickly overcoming her. "I'm... fine. Just feel a little out of it."

"That's to be expected," Kanetsugu chimed in. "It's not unnatural to feel overwhelmed when you form a link with Psychic Type Pokémon; you can feel a glimpse of what-"

"My apologies if I'm interrupting anything," Motonari's voice made itself known before he had - the Greenleafer took a quick glance around at the surroundings before offering up a smile. "But we're ready to leave."

Kanetsugu got the hint and gave an apologetic bow to their guests. "If you'll forgive me, we'll have to continue this under less pressing circumstances."

"I'd better be off myself," the grassy-haired man gave them a friendly smile as Kanetsugu filed past him. "Best of luck to you, Lady Kazumi."

Kazumi gave an absentminded nod as she watched Motonari and the Illusite head back to the castle - she felt a chill run down her spine the moment Motonari had spoken up.

"Milady?" Hanbei had caught her shiver out of the corner of his eye - the Warlord just shook her head as she scooped Espeon back up into her arms and let out a sigh.

"It's nothing," she did her best to ignore the faint sense of dread that had just washed over her. "Let's go."

Hanbei gave a resigned nod as Kazumi strode past him before looking back in Kanbei's direction. The tactician in black only gave a nod before hobbling off after Kazumi, Hanbei close behind - the tactician in white was certain that this would go wrong somehow.


	35. Chapter 35

"Lord Kenshin?" Kenshin blinked when Motonari's soft voice shook him out of his thoughts; it had been the first words the Greenleafer had said to him since they had set out from Illusio.

"Might I ask why you are glaring at me?" Awfully perceptive for someone who hadn't even bothered to look over his shoulder for the entire time they had been marching, Kenshin mused.

"I don't trust you," Motonari blinked and nearly stopped mid-step, but shook off the reply with a practiced aplomb.

"Oh?" a few different questions passed through the Greenleafer's mind at once, but an ear-piercing shriek from above caused everyone to stop in their tracks. Dozens of heads glanced up towards the clear expanse just in time to see a handful of black specks sailing across the emptiness.

"A-An ambush!?" the warriors around the mossy man broke into hushed, panicky whispers at the anonymous comment, like the fliers above would be able to hear their plans if they spoke any louder.

"Stay calm everyone, it's most likely just a scouting party," Motonari would have been content to resume his trek after that - Avia was not loathe to make use of their air superiority, and they would have been spotted eventually - but Kanetsugu squinted his eyes a little closer in the direction of the target.

"Lord Kenshin!" the Junior Warlord's hand dropped to his side and his head recoiled at the sight, like it was harsher than the glare of the sun. "It's Masamune!"

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, milord! I'd recognize that helmet anywhere!"

Motonari's mind launched itself into overdrive, but all he would show for it was clasping his hands behind his back and resuming his trek. Serperior was the first to follow, and the rest of the army fell into step soon enough.

_"Masamune was heading in the direction of Cragspur - nevermind the trouble that could cause for Shingen and Lady Kazumi, but he wouldn't have kept on that path if he wasn't confident in his defenses, would he? I've heard he's something of a gambler, perhaps... No. Cragspur is his gamble, Valora is probably laying in wait for us in Avia. In that case-"_ his thoughts came to an abrupt end when he felt Serperior's tail tapping the back of his head; its way of telling him to wake up.

"We left too late," the grassy-haired man gave a nod at Kenshin's statement, coming only a second after the Regal Pokémon's prodding.

"Yes - But this can still work to our advantage," Motonari was certain the Illusite had raised an eyebrow, but didn't bother to look. "If Masamune is so confident in his defenses that he would leave his castle, then I'm certain that the defenders would be confident enough to do the same."

Kenshin lips pursed themselves into a more cynical scowl. "And how are you so certain they would allow themselves to be goaded into fighting us out in the open?"

"Simple; Valora's honor dictates it," a hand went to the Greenleafer's chin. "And if Valora would sally out to fight us, then Avia would have no choice to follow: if one would be fool enough to do something so brash, the other would at least be wise enough to commit to their foolishness."

The Illusite's visage remained unchanged, but as Motonari finally turned back to look he could see something swimming underneath Kenshin's black eyes.

"And I take it you want us to teleport ahead into Avia to lure them out?" the other man remained as stony as before, but Motonari gave a warm nod regardless.

"Yes; preferably with only enough men as necessary," Motonari produced a map from his coat and unrolled it, tracing a finger across the lines before finally settling on a location. "We'll divert our course to the hills here and set up base; the woods to our backs will provide good cover from air attacks, and the hills will make flanking difficult."

"And you would expect them to willingly assault such a defensible position?" the corners of the Greenleafer's lips curled upwards, and the ghost of a chuckle snuck past them.

"I'm confident you will succeed, Lord Kenshin," the Warlord's eyes stayed fixed on the strategist's for a prolonged second - if Motonari realized he was being scrutinized, he gave no indication - before the Illusite gave a resigned nod and turned back to his white-garbed warriors.

"Kanetsugu," the warrior in question, the horns of his helmet easily visible over the heads of the other warriors, snapped to attention.

"Sir?"

"Command the men until I return," with a simple wave of the hand, Illusio's best and their partners quickly rallied behind Kenshin. Another and they were off at a breakneck pace towards Avia's castle.

* * *

"Sometimes I forget how much cleaner Cragspur's air is..." as Kazumi could still feel Terrera's sands clinging persistently to her hair, she had to agree with Shingen.

"Mhm..." the Auroran was too busy trying to stay awake to offer a more coherent reply; two days of no sleep and marching were beginning to catch up with her. Shingen had been kind enough to bring some extra mounts for her and Aurora's senior officers - Violight only had so many Zebstrika to spare, after all - and the monotonous clicking of horseshoes on stony paths and the quiet, indiscernible chatter of other warriors had been slowly lulling her to sleep for the past few hours.

Sounds that were starting to fall over them again.

"Ah, there it is," Kazumi cracked a blue orb open at the Terreran's comment; they had finally come out from the narrow mountain roads and onto a cliff overlooking the valley Cragpsur's castle had been built into. The sight immediately snapped her eyes wide; concentric walls as thick as Cragspur's mountains and a keep almost as tall as the peak it was resting against - it easily dwarfed Violight, let alone all the other castles they had encountered throughout their campaigns. Hanbei whistled from behind her.

"Fitting for the former capital of Ransei," the tactician spoke for the two of them. Shingen just put a hand to his chin.

"Looks bigger than I remember," he mumbled with a shake of the head. "Ujiyasu's been busy. Speaking of which..."

Shingen pulled on the reins of his Rapidash, and the Pokémon and then the army faithfully followed. "You remember the plan, right?"

"Mhm," it had been the thing that had kept her awake for the first hour or so - or, rather, the question it posed. "Since Ujiyasu's already agreed to defect to us, the two of you will have to duel."

"But why?" her question came from Kanbei's voice. "What sense does surrendering most of the castle to us only to put up a fight halfway through the battle make?"

"Ujiyasu swore loyalty to Nobunaga," Shingen's eyes glanced up to the edges of his mask. "Not Cragspur - and Ujiyasu always keeps his word."

"People are the castles; people are the stone walls," the Terreran commented absently.

"And defenses are useless if warriors will be willing to surrender them," Kanbei's face went perfectly blank - like an unstained sheet of paper - and Hanbei looked down. Kazumi followed Shingen's gaze upwards, the older Warlord's lips pursing. "Though I'm not certain how well Ujiyasu will be able to keep it now."

The speck that had caught the Terreran's eye off in the distance was quickly growing larger; she squinted underneath the glare of the sun but could make out wings, a large tuft of feathers, and a golden crescent shining down on them. The Warlord in red scowled, his grip on the reins tightening slightly.

"C'mon," Shingen nearly growled. "If we hurry we can get there before that brat has a chance to interfere."

The Terreran snapped the reins, his Rapidash rearing up and letting out a whine before galloping off down the narrow, rocky path that led into Cragspur. Kazumi knew better than to try to imitate him, especially with a sleeping Espeon in her arms, though the rest of Terrera's warriors quickly followed suit. The Auroran brought her mount to a stop as they rushed by - she could feel her ponytail getting dragged in along in the gust they made as they rushed past her - before raising a dainty hand.

"Yoshihiro. Motochika," she heard a grunt from behind her - presumably from the aging Warlord of Pugilis - followed by quick, heavy footsteps that gave her the faint idea that Shingen had managed to circle the mountain and was now riding up on their rear. Kazumi watched absently as Pugilis' warriors rushed past her in pursuit of the specks that was now Terrera's army. The only sign Hanbei saw that Kazumi even acknowledged their existence was her grip on the reins tightening as Yoshihiro passed by without so much as a glance. Motochika was a little more courteous, giving her a small nod and smile. Kazumi tried to give one back. Watching Masamune and his warriors descend into the inner ward of the castle shook away the last of her exhaustion.

"Kanbei?" the tactician behind her perked up at hearing his name, and Kazumi turned around to face the albino. "What's your take on the situation?"

The Ignite lifted a hand to his sharp chin, moving the handle of his cane to the crook of his elbow, and glanced down at the bastion below. Shingen, now a blur of red and flowing white, was almost at the gates. "Masamune's arrival is likely only for his own benefit, but if Ujiyasu is as honorable as Shingen says he'll try to save face rather than just throw him in a cell. Even if they open the gates for us, Cragspur's warriors will put up something of a fight for the Hojo's sake."

"Then," Kazumi began, gently flicking the reins in her hand. Hanbei and Kanbei followed, along with the rest of Violight. "We leave the front to them and help clear a path for Shingen. The sooner we end this, the better."

* * *

Ujiyasu blew out a puff of smoke as he lazily watched Masamune and his warriors descend into the keep. The Warlord of Cragspur disinterestedly flicked his pipe over his shoulder, squirreling away whatever annoyance would be able to seep into his voice and motioning for a nearby warrior to unlatch the gates. He heard a growl from Gigalith as the Avian descended into the courtyard, the wings of his partner sending dust and pebbles flying as it came to a halt - Ujiyasu settled for a disinterested grunt as the eye patch-wearing, gun-toting Warlord jumped off the Braviary and sauntered up to him.

"What brings you here?" Ujiyasu asked indifferently, leaning against his cane for emphasis. "I would have thought you'd have your hands full."

Masamune rolled his eye.

"Reinforcements," Masamune gesticulated to the other fliers setting down behind him for emphasis, before turning his gaze to the levels below them. Yoshihiro and Conkeldurr had already crashed through the thick outer gates - Ujiyasu didn't feel like mentioning they weren't even barred - and were breezing through the nearby Cragspur warriors, who were more than content to act as sedentary as the walls that were supposed to protect them. "Since you seem to be so concerned."

The scarred Warlord's eyes ran over the warriors behind Masamune. "It was awfully generous of you to bring all seven of them to help out."

Masamune snorted. "Seven more than you're using."

Ujiyasu finally stood, leaning against Gigalith as the Compressed Pokémon took a menacing step forward, projecting the image of a man debating which bone he would break first. Masamune just crossed his arms defiantly - he stopped being intimidated by Cragspur's Warlord after his second encounter with Nobunaga. He could feel every pair of eyes in the immediate area on him, but he ignored their gazes as his second-long staring contest with the Cragspurite intensified. It was only when a very distinctive cry of 'Rock Wrecker' followed by a loud thump echoed up to them that Ujiyasu relented.

"Why don't you go make yourself useful and keep that idiot from destroying my castle? That _is_ why you came, isn't it?" Masamune let out a huff - not exactly indignant, but it was clear he was less than happy about having a perfectly reasonable order handed out to him - and turned to his partner, climbing back on the Flying Type's back.

"Your castle, your problem, imbecile," the Avian muttered, trying to get in the last word without being heard. His good eye - brown, and filled with more than its fair share of irritation - then drifted back below, and a glint of gold and pink below caught his eye.

"Nice talk, but it's not like we came here to just sit around and catch up," Masamune said, a little less pointedly than he would have liked. Ujiyasu just took another whiff of his pipe. The Warlord of Avia then raised a hand, Braviary's wings flapping out, scattering out another wave of dust as the Pokémon rose into the air. "Charge!"

* * *

Kazumi's sapphire orbs leered around the battlefield as they made their way across it. Cragspurites were offering up a half-hearted resistance to their warriors - not that the massive type disadvantages they faced made their odds any more encouraging - while a red-clad brunette had rallied a few warriors in the center of the plaza, bellowing out orders as they tried to stop the rush of attackers. Shingen and his Pokémon were nowhere to be seen, she noted absentmindedly as she ran a hand through Espeon's - that would take a little bit of getting used to, the Auroran mused - pink fur.

"Milady?" she blinked at Muneshige's voice, and she could envision him giving a small bow as he said it, wearing the small smile the Violighter always seemed to.

"Go help out Yoshihiro, and leave some men behind to guard the entrance. I don't want anyone getting in or out without a fight," not a second passed before the warriors behind her started to scatter at her and Muneshige's commands, leaving the Auroran and the two tacticians behind her to proceed on alone. The sound of dirt and rocks crunching under their boots echoed in her ears louder than the fighting in the distance as they slipped through the terrace and filed into one of the pathways that led to the upper echelons of the castle. Kazumi scowled when they came face to face with another iron door, mind quickly running over her options. She cast a quick glance back at Kanbei - his breathing was uneven as he staggered up behind him - and then to the Lamp Pokémon that had been using its powers to help him move across the battlefield.

_"Maybe if Lampent used Fire Spin long enough, Hanbei's Pikachu could bash it open with Iron Tail? Or maybe Espeon can unlock it with an attack if it has the strength..."_ her thoughts were racing too fast to keep track of them - it didn't even register when she gave an affirmative to Hanbei when he asked if he could try something. A loud creak broke the brunette out of her thoughts; the Warlord blinked in disbelief, much like the tactician-in-black behind her, when Hanbei just pushed the unlatched and unlocked door open and shot a cheesy smile back at them.

"Good job, Hanbei," Kazumi muttered as she sped past him, shaking away the sheepish blush that was beginning to form on her face. Hanbei beamed a little wider at the praise, and then bowed and grandly gesticulated for Kanbei to go on, Pikachu mimicking his motions. The other Ignite just rolled his eyes. None of them made it far, the sight of half a dozen or so Flying Types shooting out from the walls above them making the trio stop dead in their tracks. They watched hesitantly, Hanbei silently ordering Pikachu to charge an Electro Ball, as all of them flew overhead. Kazumi let out a pent-up breath as the flapping died into an echo behind them, and and silently hoped the upper gates were unlocked as they began running again.

And then Masamune glided back down and dropped right in their path. The trio stumbled to a halt as the Warlord rose from his kneeling position.

"Hello," the Avian said with a smirk, taking off his helmet and bowing flamboyantly as he eyed the Auroran in the center. His partner - a large, blue bird with red feathers, a white tuft and a surly disposition that instantly identified it as a Braviary - landed beside him. "I am Masamune Date, and _you_ are in over your head."

"Says the person who came here with only six warriors," Kazumi shot back, casting a quick glance down at the Sun Pokémon in her arms. Espeon remained indifferent to the whole exchange, but she could tell it wasn't keen on its prospects in a protracted fight.

Masamune's smirk grew a little more genuine as he donned his helmet again - she was definitely more engaging than Ujiasu by any stretch.

"Seven, thank you. And they don't call me a dragon for nothing," the brunette heard a quiet snicker from Hanbei, but just narrowed her eyes in turn.

"That's the first I've heard of it," Kazumi allowed the corner of her lip to twist into a small smirk of her own. "I thought the term people used for you was 'brat'."

That time, the Auroran swore she heard a snort from Kanbei. Masamune uncrossed his arms, hands balling into fists, but his almost predatory grin didn't waver.

"Let's see if you can back up that bravado," Evolution - as Hanbei had quietly told her after the fact - took a lot out of a Pokémon. The berries and herbs she got from Kanbei had helped, but the Auroran also knew better than to push her luck.

"Take him," Kazumi ordered, eyes narrowed as she took a step behind her tacticians. The one in white wasted no time.

"Fire!" Pikachu leaped out from behind Hanbei's shadow and flicked its tail - Masamune just snorted when the Electro Ball slammed straight into Braviary. Hanbei was the one to flinch when the Flying Type hadn't so much as blinked at getting hit with the super effective attack head-on.

"My turn," the Warlord in black threw out a hand. "Brave Bird!"

"Smog," Kanbei quickly ordered as blue filled all of their visions.

"Blow it away!" the Flying Type folded its flaming wings against its body and twisted upwards as it charged into the putrid fog Lampent had spewed out. Kazumi coughed as the smog fell over them, but even through the black haze and the tears in her eyes she could still make out a brilliant blue above them, wings spread as it flew higher.

"Run!" Hanbei shouted out through his strangled coughs - for a brief second, all Kazumi could remember was when he coughed and blood came out - right as the Valiant Pokémon soaring above them twisted and dipped. Her senses kicked into overdrive - their own smokescreen was now slowly choking their wits out of them as they stumbled about in their attempt to flee.

_"Turn right, use the wall to run,"_ Kazumi, already trying not to panic and use what few seconds left she had to escape, nearly jumped out of her skin at the unfamiliar voice. When Espeon - who had been busy burying its face in the crook of her elbow to avoid the fumes - nudged her right, Kazumi understood and reached out. She had no time to ponder if she had felt the wall before her hand made contact with the cold, rugged stone; she just ran as fast as she could.

The Auroran opened her eyes just as Braviary crashed into the ground behind her - Kazumi was clear of the smog, but the attack was powerful enough that she stumbled against the wall.

"Looks like we can't stay out of this," she muttered to Espeon as the Psychic Type leaped out of her grasp, trying to ignore the stinging shooting across her palm and elbow. Blue orbs shot back to where they had just been standing; the smog had been scattered in the face of wind and dirt, and she could make out Kanbei's form slumped against the wall opposite to her. Hanbei had been thrown away by the blast - beret and lackadaisical smile both sent flying with him - and was getting back on his knees. Masamune just let out a huff.

"Pathetic. You'll never even come close to Nobunaga if this is all you can do," he spat out - Kazumi felt her blood boil at the mention of the name, the sight of her brother crumpling into Terrera's sands flashing across her vision. And then her eyes landed on Hanbei, the Ignite stifling a yelp and dropping back to one of his knees after finally standing up straight.

"PSYBEAM!" the Auroran roared, levelling a finger somewhere between the Avian and his partner, using every ounce of her will to resist just pointing it at the brunette across the field. Espeon, its serene purple orbs having narrowed in conjunction with Kazumi's, reared its head back and shot out the purple ray of uneven energy at the Flying Type crawling out of the crater it had just made.

Another direct hit - and much to her pleasure, one that actually showed. Braviary squawked as the Psychic attack crashed into its face, throwing the Pokémon back and sending its vision spinning, but quickly recovered and launched itself into the air at Masamune's order.

"Pin it with Fire Spin," Kanbei mumbled as he pushed himself back up. Lampent, again helping the albino stand upright, spun back to the battlefield and unleashed a pillar of flames right above Braviary. The Flying Type dipped to avoid the attack, and in the brief second of distraction that Kanbei and Lampent had created, Kazumi ordered Espeon to follow up with another Psybeam. The attack came too quickly for Masamune to bark out another command; the wave of Psychic energy slammed into Braviary's exposed underside and launched it straight into the flames above. Kanbei nodded in approval as Masamune's partner was launched through the Fire Spin with a strangled yelp, only to shake off the burns and fly out of Lampent's range. Masamune's eye was now firmly fixed on the girl and her Psychic Type.

"Brave Bird!" in the blink of an eye and a single flap of the wings, Masamune's partner was now barreling straight towards Kazumi. The Warlord's knees locked into place as she stared down the blue inferno rocketing towards her, and tried to hide a shaky gulp.

_"Three... Two... One..."_ Braviary drew closer with every second, but she managed to shout out her command over the pounding in her chest.

"Protect!" Espeon's amethyst eyes flashed viridian, and a similarly-colored barrier sprung up before the two of them. There was no time for Braviary to swerve or stop - Masamune's face dropped for the first time in the battle as the Pokémon crashed beak-first into the unbreakable barrier, ungracefully crumping upwards from the recoil before dropping into a groaning heap at the base of the psychic wall. Kazumi let out a pent up breath that was beginning to hurt, hands shaking as she relaxed her shoulders, and finally took a weak step backwards as the barrier dropped. To her horror, the Flying Type at her feet began to push itself back up. Without thinking, the Auroran quickly jumped back in an attempt to put as much space between her and the Valiant Pokémon as possible, Espeon quickly following. She risked a glance over at Masamune - his cocky grin was gone, now replaced with a thin line that was infinitely more threatening.

But before he could give an order, a blur of white streaking across the field drew their attention.

"Now, Pikachu!" Hanbei shouted from his forgotten corner. "Like we practiced; cover yourself in electricity!"

Kazumi tried not to gape when the white transformed into a crackling gold, arcing across what little ground remained before slamming into Braviary and enveloping it with the current Pikachu had surrounded itself with. The Flying Type cried out in pain - echoed in Masamune's growled out objection - as it sailed straight into the stone wall behind them, a cracking sound that made both Masamune and Kazumi sick echoing out when it hit. Hanbei just let out a faint, half-hearted chuckle and dropped his clenched fists. The Avian let out a snarl as he turned to glare at the tactician, desperately resisting the urge to reach for his pistols.

"Braviary!" he shouted, and to the surprise and horror of everyone present, the Flying Type still had enough willpower to answer his call. "Superpower on the ground!"

The Valiant Pokémon mustered what little strength it had left, and in one fluid motion that was too quick for any of the trio to oppose, lifted its wide, orange-encased wings above its head and buried them into the earth below. The dirt below cracked open in response before large chunks of debris were sent flying upwards; Pikachu was thrown straight at Hanbei against the deluge, Lampent took a large rock to its rim, and Kazumi and Espeon were barely able to get out of the way in time.

The girl's sapphire orbs quickly scanned over her surroundings as she got back to her feet; Hanbei had been knocked over by the attack - there was no questioning that Pikachu was incapable of fighting after that - Kanbei was cradling Lampent, and Masamune's grin had returned with a vengeance.

The next attack would end this, Kazumi slowly realized.

But before either of them could issue it, an explosion from the level above - the one where Ujiyasu and the keep were - drew their attention. Masamune's gaze turned back to Kazumi just in time to see Espeon unleashing an opportunistic Psybeam; Braviary barely managed to dodge. The Warlord just snorted as he stalked over to his partner, ignoring the stares the Auroran's defeated tacticians were throwing into his back.

"Maybe I underestimated your resourcefulness," the Avian said in her direction. Kazumi raised an eyebrow - she had been just as confused as he had - but kept a straight face and motioned her partner down.

"But I've done what I came here to do," he carried on, hopping on Braviary's back as carefully as he could without actually having to concede the Pokémon's exhaustion. "And I have a feeling we'll be facing off again, _milady_."

Kazumi didn't try to stop him as the Flying Type sluggishly shot into the air - instead, she tried not to let the taunt get to her - and finally let out a heavy breath as she watched the Avian effortlessly maneuver through all the electric attacks shot at him from the level below. Kazumi then turned back around and raced over to Hanbei, ignoring the echoes of more flapping in the distance.

"I'm fine..." the Ignite groaned out as he tried to sit up without crushing the unconscious Pokémon in his arms. "I just forget how much getting slugged in the chest by a thirteen pound Pokémon hurts..."

The Warlord let a small smile come over her face - one the tactician returned - as she extended a hand. He grabbed it, and Kazumi wrapped her other hand around his to avoid being pulled down as he stood back up. Espeon pawed at her boot as Kanbei came over, Lampent still in his arms. Whatever he was about to say was cut off by another crash from above.

"C'mon," the steel the eked back into her voice made it an order.

* * *

When the trio finally got into the castle's upper levels - and, again, the imposing doors were opened with a simple push - Kazumi didn't know what to think of the sight in front of them.

On one hand, she had been somewhat expecting the duel playing out before her; there was really no other plausible explanation. But the Auroran still couldn't figure out how someone as conspicuous as Shingen - nevermind his Rhyperior - managed to get by them without being noticed. Regardless, the trio could tell the battle between the two titans - one earth-red and the other as blue as Cragspur's peaks - was nearing its end.

"Bulldoze, Rhyperior, and finish this!"

"Stop them with Stone Edge!"

"Jump across the rocks!" it was a surreal sight to be sure; the large, unwieldy Drill Pokémon hurling itself over one of the stone pillars that shot out of the ground, and then jumping across the others. But somehow it worked - Kazumi could make out Ujiyasu gritting his teeth.

"Dodge with Rock Polish, Gigalith!" the bulky Compressed Pokémon then rocketed off, practically gliding across the battlefield in blur before Rhyperior got a chance to pin it down. Shingen hummed absently.

"Break the ground," Rhyperior reared back a weighty fist in preparation of a Fire Punch. Hanbei immediately realized the Terrean's tactic; a cracked ground would turn Gigalith's speed against it, sending it stumbling against the uneven terrain. The Warlord of Cragspur wasted no time in reacting.

"Charge it!" Gigalith whirled around and used its momentum to race towards Rhyperior in a whirl of polished blue and red.

"So, that's how we're going to end it..." Shingen put a hand to his chin. "Catch it!"

Rhyperior's Fire Punch dissipated and it threw its arms out just in time to stop the Rock Type from barreling into it and crushing it against the rocks jutting out behind the Ground Type. The masked Warlord let a grin consume the bottom half of his face.

"Now; let go and use Bulldoze!" Rhyperior released its grip and levelled the drill on the top of its head straight with what amounted to Gigalith's face - the Pokémon had no time to react or change course, and its own move pushed it straight into the Super Effective attack. Ujiyasu let out another puff of smoke as Gigalith was blown back, crushing the ground underneath it as it landed.

"You did your best. Rest well," the Cragspurite muttered to the unconscious Pokémon at his feet, bending down to help set it upright. He looked up when his opponent waltzed over and grabbed the other side of the Rock Type. "Well, you beat us fair and square, Shingen. The first time in... three? Four years, I think?"

The Terreran chuckled as his exhausted partner also lent a hand, the three finally lifting the Compressed Pokémon back up. "Yes, your one victory against us was pretty impressive."

"If you recall we also won the first time you charged in and tried to take Cragspur," the scarred Warlord stood back upright, looking at the masked one out of the corner of his eye and through a thin cloud of smoke. "I still remember when you burst through the gates like the idiot you used to be and shouted you were here to 'drop one-liners and kick butt'-"

"And I just ran out of one liners," Shingen finished, a small smile breaking out on his face at the memory. Ujiyasu just rolled his eyes but found a similar grin threatening to overcome his features.

"And with lines like that it's no wonder you never got married," the Terreran crossed his arms and huffed out in an almost boyish manner.

"I'll have you know I was quite handsome back in the day. Or so all the ladies said."

"And then you stopped growing taller and started growing wider," it was when both Warlords broke out into laughter that the horrific realization dawned on Kazumi that this was the _norm_ for them. She finally decided to make herself known, taking a few loud steps forward and clearing her throat.

"Lord Shingen?" the man in question blinked and turned to face her and her tacticians, seemingly realizing for the first time they were standing there the whole time. The Auroran got the feeling he had raised an eyebrow from the way he crossed his arms and the corner of his lip tugged to the side. "We've chased away Masamune, and if you're finished here..."

"You did, did you?" Ujiyasu asked rhetorically, jovialness fading away into a guarded curiosity. Kazumi knew he was silently scrutinizing her every movement, and Shingen cleared his throat.

"Right, I don't think you've been properly acquainted; Ujiyasu Hojo, Warlord of Cragspur," Ujiyasu gave a gruff nod at that.

"And Kazumi Otomo, Co-Warlord of Aurora, Ignis and Violight; our new ally," Kazumi quickly bowed at Shingen's introduction, Hanbei and Kanbei silently following suit.

"A pleasure," she said as neutrally as she could.

"Likewise," Ujiyasu replied, a little more warmly than before. "I've heard quite a bit about your and your brother's exploits. You might just be what we need to dethrone Nobunaga."

"Anyways," the Cragspurite began, turning back towards the keep towering above. "We can talk more about this inside - I'll send some warriors to let the others know to stop fighting."

The scraggly Warlord then motioned for the nearest warriors to relay his message before turning back to Shingen. "You're also paying for that gate."

Kazumi blinked and followed the direction Ujiyasu had jerked his thumb and was met with the sight of a crumbling gatehouse in the corner of the courtyard. It had its stone-covered doors blown out of their hinges by some attack or another - Rock Wrecker, if she had to guess. That had probably been what caused the commotion that scared away Masamune to begin with (not that either of them needed to know that).

"Though I'm curious how you even knew it was there to begin with," the Cragspurite's rough voice drew the brunette out of her reflections.

"You really think I didn't have Kunoichi take notes on the new layout?"

"Some things never change, I guess."

"Well, that's why were here, isn't it?"

"Touché," Ujiyasu finally conceded with a grin, pushing the doors to the keep open and beckoning them in.

It was at that moment that Kazumi became acutely aware of how absolutely exhausted she was, and the prospect of finally being able to rest had her legs moving forward before she even realized it.

* * *

For the first time in decades, Motonari let his jaw drop. He nearly shot out of his seat at the sight of his warriors and their partners practically _flying_ into the air as they tried in vain to stop the machine-of-a-man that had charged headfirst into their lines.

The Greenleafer had, of course, heard the rumors about Tadakatsu Honda's strength; how he alone was worth the entirety of Valora's army, how he had single-handedly held Valora's castle against Chrysalia's army before Ieyasu ordered him down, and even that Nobunaga supposedly considered him a challenge. Some of them might have been blown out of proportion, but Motonari was certain of one thing now; he was every bit worthy of being called the Strongest Warrior in Ransei after breaking the deadlock the two armies had been in by charging straight through their ranks unabated.

Now they were cut off from Illusio and Valora was moving to take advantage of the breach Tadakatsu had managed to form. Nevermind that the only thing keeping him out of their camp was a handful of warriors.

_"Scratch that,"_ Motonari thought as Metagross' Meteor Mash slammed into a Swadloon and Lilligant. A few warriors who still had enough courage to move their legs quickly rushed to fill in the gap of grey-blue peeking out from its green surroundings, but Motonari silently shook his head. He wouldn't continue to fight a battle he knew he couldn't win.

"Fall back!" he shouted - they had been cut off from most of Illusio's forces in the course of the battle, ruling out an easy escape for them, but the forest would still provide good cover from the bulky, slow-moving Steel Types they had managed to hold their own against for so long. The surrounding warriors were quick to comply, his two words somehow being more compelling than the Junior Warlord charging them. Tadakatsu - a mountain of steely armor encasing a mountain of a man - looked around in confusion as the warriors surrounding him broke off their attack, picking up their partners as they scuttled to escape. The strategist used those vital moments to weigh his options; regrouping and using the forest as cover for an ambush came to mind immediately, but he dismissed its effectiveness. That they had kept Valora out of Cragspur alone was victory enough for now, and the last thing they needed was to suffer more losses in a fool's errand.

But that would be difficult with Tadakatsu chasing after them; and from the way the Valoran's narrow eyes had settled on him and the rest of the camp at the top of the hill, Motonari guessed escaping was going to be easier said than done. They needed more time - something that would delay him, something that would distract him. The Greenleafer's eyes narrowed; Tadakatsu's first step came off like a clap of thunder, or an echo of Motonari's heart pounding against his chest as more warriors ran past him.

His eyes darted to Takakage, one leg a step behind the other and looking up at him expectantly, and then to Serperior, ruby orbs shifting between him and the charging Valoran. Motonari looked down and let out an unheard breath.

"Nothing must be above sacrifice..." he muttered like a mantra, before reaching out to Serperior through their link. The Pokémon was almost as anxious as he was, the Warlord noted bitterly. _"Get him out of here."_

Motonari didn't need to turn around to know the Grass Type had blinked in surprise. _"And what of you?"_

_"I will do what I must,"_ came the Greenleafer's mental reply before he turned to face the few warriors still waiting for him to retreat. "Protect him with your lives. Now go!"

Before anyone had time to question who, Motonari snatched a sword from the scabbard of a nearby warrior.

"Father!?" Takakage cried out, but Serperior wrapped its tail around his body and hoisted him off the ground before he could say anything else. The Regal Pokémon then proceeded to slither away over the objections of the boy in its grap, the rest of the warriors following when Motonari didn't so much as flinch at the commotion. His grip tightened on the hilt of the weapon as Tadakatsu's footsteps became louder than his the retreating warriors, digging in his heel and holding the blade between his eyes as he tried to project as much determination as possible. The Valoran and his Metagross finally came to a stop a few feet in front of them; the Steel Type was inscrutable, but Tadakatsu looked over him and finally raised a thick eyebrow. Motonari knew the Junior Warlord had come to the same conclusion he had: that the Greenleafer didn't stand a chance against him.

"Sheathe your blade, and I assure you Lord Ieyasu will treat you well," Motonari let the ghost of a smirk cross his face, and the grassy-haired man relaxed his shoulders to make eye contact with the juggernaut lumbering before him.

"Ah, yes, Lord Ieyasu," he said with a maddeningly subtle bravado that made Tadakatsu almost flinch. "I do have to wonder how he's fairing now that you're here and not at the main camp."

It was like a bolt of lightning had just struck the Valoran pillar; his back shot straight, eyes widening and teeth gritting as memories of Kenshin and his warriors teleporting into Avia's castle unopposed flashed across his mind's eye. Tadakatu's grip on the spear tightened enough to snap the steel shaft in two. Motonari's eyes went to his peripheries - he couldn't make out any of his warriors, and Illusio was beginning their retreat as well. The Greenleafer took one step back, preparing to dash into the tree line himself, and that was when Tadakatsu's eyes locked back on him. With a speed Motonari didn't even think possible from someone as encumbered as him, Tadakatsu swung his spear down.

Motonari barely moved fast enough to block the blow aimed at his head, and even then the sheer force of it made him stumble back.

_"Perhaps he fell for it a little too well..."_ the strategist thought, twisting his wrists just in time to block a second swing. He was nearly thrown to the side when the attack connected, and had only a second to regain his balance before the next slash in Tadakatsu's onslaught came. The sound of metal snagging against metal grated into the Greenleafer's ears as their weapons connected a third time, Motonari's heels digging into the ground as he silently marveled at how he had somehow blocked the attack.

A split-second passed before Motonari's eyes widened in realization; Tadakatsu wasn't trying to overpower him to begin with. He only had time to watch in abject resignation as the Valoran's grip on his weapon shifted, and he brought the blunt end of the spear up to his unprotected jawline.

Copper. The taste flooded his mouth as his teeth tore into his cheek. The world was spinning, ears ringing, his vision fading into a blur. The feeling of his skull hitting the dirt felt too distant to be reality. He reached out in vain for whatever had just been in his hands second before - the word was lost in the sea of black slowly washing over his face - and an unresponsive hand went limp with a strangled groan. The last thing Motonari saw was the hulking figure of Tadakatsu looming over him, face steely.

* * *

His daughter, Mitsuhide realized from his seat in the corner, was not a good warrior.

Ranmaru - having dropped by to relay Lord Nobunaga's summons to Dragnor, only to be roped by Gracia into a battle - was even taken aback at how quickly the battle had been finished. The page's panicky eyes darted over to him for a brief second, as if to make sure that the Warlord wasn't about to spring up, before they returned to the battlefield.

Gracia just clasped her hands together and smiled that same blissful smile she always could muster, irregardless of the circumstances.

"Great job, Maria!"

She was a _prodigy_.

Mitsuhide nearly buried his face in his hands as the Gothorita - _and to have a Pokémon evolve in such a short span of time, too_ \- bounced back to her side jubilantly, grasping the girl's hands as they danced around in circles blithely, ecstatic over their landslide victory. Ranmaru finally closed his gaping maw and hoisted Riolu back up, just in time for Gracia to turn her attention to him.

"That was fun, Ran!" fun - Mitsuhide tried to resist the urge to groan at that - would not be the word Ranmaru would use to describe helplessly watching Riolu trapeze about the room, being dragged through the air and smashed into the walls and floor by some immaterial hand. But he put on a shaky smile, something made a little easier by staring straight at Gracia's.

"We'll battle again, right?" her voice wavered a bit as she asked the question; none of the guards she battled were keen on being shown up _twice_ by an eleven-year old girl who had never once set foot on a battlefield. Ranmaru chanced another glance back at the Warlord.

"L-Lord Mitsuhide?" the Nixtormite quickly looked up when he heard his guest's voice and tried to salvage some modicum of his usual reservation.

"Papa?" Gracia had finally noticed his obvious dismay, but Mitsuhide swept it away with a thin smile.

"Sometime later, Gracia. Ranmaru has other things he needs to do," her own smile dropped just a little, but the girl nodded and turned back to the boy.

"Okay," she said more to her father than to Ranmaru. "See you later, Ran!"

With that, Gracia returned to Gothorita, and in seconds they were engrossed in their plans for the rest of the day. Mitsuhide stood - slowly, trying not to give away how weak his legs felt - and picked up the scabbard resting against the wall beside him.

"I'll be back, Gracia," he called out, with a little less ice in his voice than he wanted.

"Okay," she replied with even less, barely skipping a beat in her own conversation. "When?"

"Soon," Mitsuhide said quietly, "Be good, alright?"

"I will! Bye, Papa!" Mitsuhide turned back around; with Riolu in one hand and the other holding the door open, Ranmaru was already waiting for him. The Nixtormite gave a small nod to him as he crossed the room, Ranmaru falling in step behind as they left the throne room. Mitsuhide waited until he heard the iron slam shut behind him to look back at his companion.

"Ranmaru," the way he said it, with enough steel to sound threatening but not to mask his desperation, caused the page to stop in his tracks.

"Sir?" purple eyes stared down at Ranmaru, a gaze as razor-sharp and thin as the sword hanging from Mitsuhide's hip.

"Please; do not tell Lord Nobunaga what happened here today," was it a demand he was masking as a request, or a request that had spilled over into a demand? Ranmaru found himself nodding stiffly regardless; as he failed to see how it could threaten his lord, he saw no fault in complying.

And so, astride Lapras, the two made their way to Dragnor; where the atmosphere there seemed more bleak than even Nixtorm and its endless winter.


	36. Chapter 36

"Milady."

Her brother had said it, but it wasn't his voice. Tadashi's was a voice befitting a young man; strong, but not firm enough to hide the insecurities that skulked about underneath his bravado. Kazumi never questioned why it always escaped from the mouth of an eight year old boy as they took shelter from one of Violight's many storms.

The scene had played out before her countless times before; Tadashi climbing up the tree in the middle of the castle garden like he often would, trying to show off his bravery by this time doing it in the middle of one of Violight's infamous thunderstorms. And then the lightning struck; not him, but close enough that he lost his balance and fell from his perch in the firmament and was sent back into the earth. A branch - no, two - broke his fall as he landed in an ungraceful, bloody heap at the base of the tree he had so easily scaled minutes before, and she would rush over and scoop him up. Except this time there was no Dosetsu yelling at them to get out of that tree, no Ginchiyo racing him to the top - "We're _not_ friends!" the younger Tadashi would always insist in a way that made nobody believe him - and no Sorin sitting back on the patio, smiling to himself as they all ran about.

They were completely and utterly alone; just the two of them in the storm, with the tree above casting its dark shadow on the two kids hiding below.

"Milady."

Another flash of lightning. Tadashi had craned his neck to her as he said it - but it wasn't what he was supposed to say. And in the other voice again; it was similar, but a little lighter and relaxed. It was maddening; bringing her some strange sense of comfort and confusion at the same time.

"Kazumi," Tadashi's voice finally made itself known. Her sapphire orbs were locked on his silver; she felt a bloody hand reach up and try in vain to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheek. All it did was bloody her.

"I tried," he choked out faintly, eyes dimming. Kazumi's vision faded into a blur - she hugged Tadashi's limp body closer against hers, but somehow it felt lighter. Her own pleading and sobbing faded into a muddy cacophony to match her the mess her vision had become, but despite it all she could feel one thing clearly.

"Milady!" it was louder and more desperate before, and the voice practically cast a light down on her.

And then everything burned away into blackness.

"Lady Kazumi! Please wake up!"

Light came back in blurs, different ones than she remembered. White, purple, black and brown clouded her vision, dancing about before her heavy eyes managed to distinguish Hanbei's face from the ceiling.

_"Hanbei?"_ her sleep-addled brain managed to wonder. _"Why is he in my bed?"_

And only a second later did lucidity catch up to her; Hanbei was standing above her - Kanbei was in the corner, she noted - and she was sleeping in a completely different castle from Pugilis.

"It's four," she heard the tactician say a little more gently. All that accomplished was Kazumi becoming more aware of how much her muscles ached and how heavy her eyelids felt - and, more importantly, how soft the cot felt.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled, both her and Hanbei knowing that she really meant another hour or so. The sheets felt so warm, she decided as her senses became lighter again.

"In the afternoon," Hanbei said, this time matter-of-factly. Kazumi slowly cracked an eye open at that.

_"In the afternoon?"_ for a moment she felt almost angry at having been allowed an hour or so of sleep, and was about to reprimand Hanbei for it when she realized it couldn't possibly be right; she hazily recalled eating something for dinner a while back. Was that just a part of the dream?

"It's Thursday," came the Ignite's latest statement, this time with a small smile as he glanced down at her. The Warlord's eyes widened, and she craned her head up - not enough to make her alert, but at least keep her from falling back asleep.

_"Thursday!? But that would mean-"_

"You were so tired when Ujiyasu showed you to your room that you decided to take a nap," Hanbei carried on, this time a little more bashfully. "I thought you could use the sleep, so I told them you were feeling sick at dinner and left your food here."

Had she been more coherent, Kazumi would have thought the gesture sweet. But her mind was still hazy, and all she could bring herself to focus on was what impression she must have left on her host while she was whisked up in her dreams. The Auroran blinked.

_"Dreams..."_ the mental images all crashed back into her exhausted mind in a blur. _"Brother!"_

"Lady Kazumi!?" Kazumi realized that she had shot up like someone struck a match against her only seconds later - her hand had wrapped itself firmly around Hanbei's nearby wrist, and her chest hurt from a sharp breath that had gone almost unnoticed.

No, it was just a dream, her now-lucid mind assured her pounding heart. Kazumi remembered the incident well, too; there had been no thunderstorm, and Tadashi had only gotten two branches up in his race against Ginchiyo when he slipped and got a broken knee for his efforts. The sight had given her chills as an eight-year old, and it seemed the memory had conflated itself with her age.

And then Kazumi became acutely aware that she was still holding Hanbei's wrist, albeit her grip had loosened enough for him to have feeling in his fingers again.

"Sorry," the Warlord muttered as she let go, using her elbows to push herself up. "Just a nightmare..."

"Some nightmare," Hanbei replied with a quiet smile. Kazumi nodded.

"Yeah..." Tadashi was still back in Terrera, bedridden, she assured herself - though that only brought a guilt of its own. The Auroran took another look around the room as she got up; Kanbei was still off to the side, trying to hide a small smile - he probably found the idea of Hanbei trying to wake her up amusing. Kazumi didn't have time to wonder why Espeon felt so comfortable resting against the Ignite's leg.

"Where's Shingen?" Kazumi asked hesitantly.

"Waiting for you," this time Kanbei answered. The Auroran felt like groaning, but just stood up and tried brushing the wrinkles out of her clothes.

"Give me a minute to make myself presentable," she said, and both tacticians took that as their cue to leave. A few minutes later the door the two had been loitering in front of opened up, giving them enough time to turn around before their lord stepped out. Kazumi had changed into a set of fresh clothes and combed out her absurdly long ponytail - she would have indeed given off the impression of someone who woke up at a normal time of the day if she wasn't struggling to keep her eyes open. Hanbei suppressed the urge to chuckle. Their walk was a quiet one; the Ignite could tell that his lord was still caught up in whatever her dream had been, and she seemed content to just follow Kanbei as he led them to the throne room of Cragspur. Shingen and Ujiyasu seemed to be a little more lively, Hanbei mused as they finally reached the gilded panels.

"Look, Shingen, all I'm saying is that it's a possibility."

"There's also a possibility a meteor could fall out of the sky and kill all of us in the next minute."

"It's still a possibility."

"C'mon Ujiyasu, we've known him for most of our lives. Besides, the last time you said that he threw you over a table."

"I was drunk!"

"Well now, there's a possibility you weren't."

Kanbei slid the door open before Ujiyasu could counter. The trio each gave a bow before they entered - neither of the Warlords already inside the otherwise empty room seemed to be overly concerned. Kazumi took a quick sweep of it before bringing her head back up; they were in an antechamber of some kind, the actual throne hidden behind another set of panels Shingen and Ujiyasu had laid a small table in front of.

"Feeling better?" Kazumi blinked for the briefest of seconds - of course, something as insignificant as that didn't escape Shingen's gaze - and then nodded.

"Yes," Shingen then motioned for her to take a seat on the cushion next to his.

"I have to say I'm impressed," Ujiyasu said as Kazumi took her seat, Kanbei and Hanbei sitting on the peripheries of all their thoughts. She raised an eyebrow but kept a neutral face.

"About what?"

"Shingen here's told me how you marched for two days straight after that battle with Nobunaga. And then fought another on top of it."

Kazumi was about to ask how the Terreran knew she hadn't slept after getting back to Pugilis, but quickly dismissed it as being fairly obvious to anyone who had bothered to pay attention.

"I think that might be a bit of an overstatement..." for as much as she was used to being praised - over Tadashi, she could hear a voice in the back of her head whisper - getting it after committing perhaps the biggest faux pas of her admittedly short political career left her flustered. Or maybe it was just being in the presence of two of the titans of her age, and Kazumi quickly scrambled for something to distract her. It was only when her eyes landed on the jar in the center of the table that the Auroran realized just how thirsty she was. Without even thinking about what might have been inside, she quickly reached for it and poured herself a glass.

"You're too young for that," Ujiyasu quickly said before she could finish, pulling the bottle out of her weak grip.

"I'm seventeen," Kazumi retorted - not out of being refused what she now realized was alcohol, but simply out of how thirsty she was.

"I have to agree with Ujiyasu," Shingen chimed in, though he didn't take the glass away from her. The dry joviality that had been etched onto his face from before was now washed away under a grim line and a downward stare.

"But we have more pressing issues," Ujiyasu's face quickly fell into a mirror-image of Shingen's. The Cragspurite gave a nod and took a quiet sip from his glass; the same feeling of dread quickly washed over Kazumi.

"The message from Kenshin only came in this morning," Ujiyasu said as he placed the cup back down. "The battle at Avia was tactically inconclusive, but they had to withdraw."

Kazumi blinked. "It's not like we haven't had to retreat before."

Shingen shook his head, like he was trying to shake off whatever naivety was left in him.

"Yes, but we lost badly," the Warlord in red didn't bother to pause for dramatic effect. "Your strategist is missing."

Kazumi didn't know if a second or a minute had passed by in complete silence before it sunk in.

"Motonari stayed behind to act as the army's rearguard," Shingen continued in a level tone that told her he was no stranger to this sort of thing. "None of his warriors know what happened, and the ones Kenshin sent weren't able to find a bod-"

"So there's a possibility he's being held prisoner?" Kazumi asked before even realizing the words had sputtered past her lips.

"There's a decent chance, yeah," Ujiyasu replied, rubbing the scar across his forehead. "He'd make a valuable prisoner, but it was Valora who Greenleaf was up against; if he is alive, I doubt Nobunaga will be keen on keeping him around when he finds out."

The Auroran let out the breath building up in her chest and leaned back. _"First Tadashi, Ginchiyo and Oichi, and now Motonari... Am... Am I too weak?"_

Half of the core of their army had been removed in only three days despite her best efforts. It only then hit the Warlord how truly alone she was - she was just a kid trying to keep up in an very adult game. And those around her were paying the price for her mistakes; Hanbei and Kanbei would now have to fill in the shoes of a giant, Takakage was now without his father, Greenleaf had lost its Warlord, and it would just be another thing for Tadashi to feel guilty about were he to find out. How many more blunders would she end up making?

Kazumi almost let out an empty laugh when she realized how much like Tadashi she was starting to sound. Almost - the thought of where he was kept her mouth shut.

_"So this is how he felt before that battle with Pugilis..."_ the Warlord blinked and realized her sight was becoming watery. _"I should've been more sympathetic."_

Without even thinking of what was in it, Kazumi reached for the cup on the table; anything to wipe the tears out of her eyes without being conspicuous. She only managed a single gulp before slamming the cup back down in disgust. The back of her throat burned more than before as she swallowed, the girl lurching over with a cough as her vision became even more blurred.

"Zekrom, that's bitter," Kazumi choked out as she rubbed her eyes. Shingen sighed and pinched the bridge of his mask, while Ujiyasu shook his head. Kazumi didn't need to look over her shoulder to know her tacticians were shocked.

_"Get a hold of yourself!"_ the voice was hers, but all the Auroran could think of was Tadashi of all people yelling it.

"We need a plan," she said quietly. _"What would Motonari have come up with?"_

"In other news," Shingen started. "The sky is blue."

Kazumi heard a restrained snort from Hanbei - she tried to ignore the jab as she strained her mind for something.

"A prisoner of our own," the Auroran finally broke the silence. Shingen blinked and looked down at her in an emotion she couldn't decipher - something between approval and disconcertment - while Ujiyasu crossed his arms.

"I'm not a kidnapper," his look was as blunt as his tone. "And this is running on the assumption that he's still al-"

"Actually," the Terreran raised his voice a little.

"That's not a half bad idea. Even if it'll be too late," he noticed Kazumi squirm in her seat out of the corner of his eye. "It might prove useful later on. Besides, we won't have to kidnap anyone."

Everyone blinked, but Ujiyasu was the only one who responded. "I take it you're thinking about that brat up north?"

"He fancies himself a unifier, doesn't he?" the only thing Kazumi could really remember about Masamune was his cocky grin, so she stayed quiet. "I think he'll jump at the chance to show off and take Cragspur if he thinks he can get away with it."

"Then we'll be moving onto Yaksha, next?" the Auroran finally spoke up. Shingen nodded - it had been the original plan to sweep the southeast counterclockwise, anyhow - and turned back to Ujiyasu.

"We'll also need to borrow some of your men; they're more familiar with Yaksha than we are, and-"

"Yes, yes, it'll be more likely to get him to attack too. Remind me why I always have to be the bait in these harebrained schemes of yours?" the sandy-haired Warlord grumbled.

"You're the only one of us who can actually stand to be around him," Ujiyasu muttered something under his breath while Shingen let out a quiet laugh. It wasn't forced, Kazumi noted, but it wasn't as genuine as the other ones she had heard from the Terreran. Shingen then stood up, his stocky frame casting its shadow over all of them.

"The sooner we can head out, the better. I'll go ready my troops," and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. A second of awkward silence passed, Kazumi letting the situation fully sink in while Ujiyasu took another sip from his glass. She eventually stood without so much as a word - Hanbei and Kanbei following suit - gave a bow to her host and left herself.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened," Hanbei said the moment Kanbei shut the panel behind them.

"That's easy to say from the side," Kazumi muttered back, not feeling she had a right to raise her voice. "I could have sent Dosetsu or Yoshihiro with him. I could have disagreed with the plan to split our forces. I could have gone myself."

"And ended up getting captured yourself," Hanbei replied softly. Kazumi just looked down as they continued down the hallway.

"Casualties are inevitable in a war," came the stark remark from the tactician in white. He was only met with palpable disquiet from the brunette.

"Yaksha is reliant on Dark Types," Kanbei almost coughed when he uncomfortably piped up. Kazumi was grateful for the shift in topics.

"We'll be fine," she sounded far less certain than she wanted to. "And you and Lampent?"

"We shall come up with something," came the albino's reply. Hanbei's lips curled into a small grin, and he folded his arms behind his head.

"By that, he means he'll let me and Pikachu do most of the work while he glares menacingly at them," the Ignite chuckled out. Kanbei just shook his head, but Kazumi found her steps feeling a little lighter than before, even as every step she took drew her closer to the Kingdom of Darkness.

* * *

...

Light. Colors.

Brown. Gold. White. Red. Blood.

Numbness. Aches. Burning. Burns? How?

Black. Blackness. Sparks. Flashes. Lightning. _Lightning._

Oichi!

Air rushed into Tadashi's lungs as he shot up. The flimsy sheets that fell off him had felt like the lid of a sarcophagus, and the musty air of Terrera's castle felt revitalizing. Silvery eyes darted around the room - he made out five other cots, only three filled and utterly motionless. He turned his head with a quiet groan, eyes landing on a half-empty glass of water laying next to him. Had he been awake before?

The Auroran tried pushing himself upright, only for his elbows to give out and let him crash back into the rough pillow with another grunt. His arms hurt, his throat hurt, the back of his head hurt, but Tadashi shoved aside the searing pain and managed to slowly push himself so that he was sitting upright. The Warlord, slowly, rubbed his eyes as his vision readjusted to the dim afternoon light snaking into Terrera's infirmary, and then took another stolid glance around the room.

_"How... How long have I... What... Did Kazumi, Oichi..."_ Tadashi let out a frustrated sigh and stared at the door on the other side of the room long enough for his head to stop spinning. The Warlord slumped back into the pillow as seconds turned to minutes - that was at least how it felt - and continued absently staring at the door ahead as he tried to sort out the details of what happened.

At least, Tadashi thought with no small amount of appreciation, he was still alive, even if so much as breathing hurt.

After what felt like an eternity of staring at wood and being accosted by memories he would rather forget, the Auroran finally heard a noise in the room other than shallow breathing from the other cots. It was a soft click, followed by a quiet creak - a breath caught in his throat as he saw the door slowly open. He could feel his stomach doing flips; the thought of being able to finally talk to someone, the questions he would asks, the answers he might get, the thought of being able to see-

Oichi.

The blood from the girl's face drained the moment their eyes met. Her hands began to tremble around the sheets that were folded in her arms, mouth parting as she struggled to find any words. Tadashi spoke first, exhaustion and the pain in his chest being the only things keeping his tone level.

"You're safe," Tadashi choked out the words, but managed a smile. Oichi's head dropped, auburn hair falling over her face and a few tears down her cheeks.

"I-I... I'm sorry, my Lord. I betrayed your trust and-"

"Oichi," he said quietly as she continued to apologize.

"If I had told you sooner-"

"Oichi."

"If I wasn't so useless-"

"Oichi, _please_ ," his voice was as firm as it could be, and she stopped with a sniffle. There was a prolonged second of utter silence as he tried to sort through his own thoughts.

"It doesn't matter that you're Nobunaga's sister," the girl's lips started mimicking her hands.

"Yes, it does, my Lord," she said quietly, gaze glued to the pile of linen she had dropped when she started apologizing.

"Oichi, please look at me," slowly, Oichi raised her brown eyes until they met Tadashi's silver. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his perfectly still. "It doesn't matter to me."

She just looked back down in shame; Tadashi sighed and pushed the covers off, intent on holding her by the shoulders and telling her how important she was. Oichi tried to object the moment she heard him move, but it was too late; the moment he stood his legs buckled underneath him like a newborn Ponyta. Tadashi let out a shout loud enough to alert the entire castle as his knees slammed into the boards below. The Warlord reached out to steady himself with the cot, only for more pain to shoot up his shoulder.

"Lord Tadashi!" he felt her arms wrap around his.

"I'm fine," the Auroran hissed out as he slowly got back on his feet.

"No, you're not," Oichi replied firmly. "You haven't had anything to eat for days, your burns are still raw, you've just regained consciousness after nearly being electrocuted to death, and-"

She quickly fell silent, ending what had been otherwise an increasingly panicky tone.

"Please, my Lord, just stay here and let me go get you something to eat," Oichi did a better job of masking the guilt in her voice this time. Tadashi nodded bitterly and slumped back up against the flat pillow; only a minute or two passed before Oichi came racing back with a small tray of food and another familiar face.

"It's good to see you're awake, milord," Naoshige bowed as Oichi handed Tadashi the tray. The Warlord just blinked in confusion.

"Naoshige?" he asked through a mouthful of rice. "What're you doing here?"

"I came as soon as I got word of what happened," the Auroran replied quickly - by the time Tadashi realized he had avoided actually answering the question, he had already asked something else.

"How long has it been?" he asked as he continued shoveling food into his mouth. He wasn't particularly concerned about proper manners right now.

"Three days," Oichi offered up quietly. "Lady Kazumi's already set off for Cragspur with the army."

"Just like her to always have a handle on the situation..." Tadashi muttered before taking a gulp from the glass of water next to him. "Anyways, what now?"

"Lady Kazumi and Lord Shingen should be headed onto Yaksha by now, while the army under Lords Motonari and Kenshin should be back in Illusio checking any reinforcements from the north," Naoshige replied, arms folded behind his back like he was a simple messenger.

"Until then, please try to rest and not worry too much," the Warlord of Aurora crossed his arms and let out an objective huff, but nodded at Oichi. A second look around the room revealed two more details he had missed before; Ginchiyo's Luxio sleeping quietly at the foot of her cot, and then that Jigglypuff was missing from its usual place on Oichi's person. He raised an eyebrow, spared a second's glance at Naoshige, and then back at the Spark Pokémon.

"Where's Eevee?" the girl blinked and looked up.

"Ah, I'll go get him," she said a little too quietly and proceeded to leave a little too quickly. Tadashi internally nodded to himself and turned to Naoshige.

"Who told you what happened?" the innocent question cut through the awkward silence that had fallen over the two of them. Tadashi almost chuckled at how obviously uncomfortable the man was - the warrior nearly snapped to attention when he spoke up - without anything to do.

"Motonari, milord. He sent a letter - don't worry, I've left Aurora in capab-" Tadashi's eyes had narrowed by an unnoticeable fraction, like a Flying Type eyeing its prey.

"But I wasn't the one he asked you to keep an eye on," the Warlord asked, in almost a whisper, to the man's obvious surprise. "Was I?"

"No sir," Tadashi's silvery eyes moved to the still open door, and then back to the Auroran above.

Naoshige was - outside of Oichi - their oldest ally. He still handled most of the day-to-day affairs of managing both Aurora and Ignis, and had helped guide them through the nonstop fiasco that was their early tenure (at least, Tadashi thought sardonically, that this fiasco was a more dignified one). Above all, however, Naoshige was perhaps the first person in her life that Oichi had actually been able to consider a friend. Tadashi made a mental note to thank Motonari for his concern even as he let out a heavy sigh.

"She's strong," he muttered with a quiet conviction.

"So is Nobunaga, my Lord," the Auroran said with a short bow.

"I know," Tadashi returned dryly. "And to have the strength of will to turn her back on him, on that type of power... I think we haven't given Oichi nearly enough credit."

Naoshige blinked. "You've changed, my lord."

"I'm bedridden," the Auroran said with a small smile. "I have to delegate my immaturity."

Naoshige just bowed.

"Anyways," Tadashi's smiled faded away with another gulp from the nearby glass. "Carry on as you were, Naoshige. And let me know if anyone says anything to her."

"Yes sir."

Naoshige turned with another bow and left the ward, leaving the Warlord alone to take a long look around at the other occupants. He had awoken from his dreams only to find himself facing a nightmare, Tadashi decided.


	37. Chapter 37

When their army had first set out it had been mid-afternoon; Kazumi was eager to both save face and make up for lost time, and Shingen and Ujiyasu had insisted on them getting to Yaksha before the sun set. That in of itself wasn't hard at all; it was a surprisingly short trip, and with the guides Ujiyasu had provided it took a little more than an hour. None of that seemed to matter, though; the skies above were so murky with pale clouds and a jaundiced yellow that it was impossible to discern sunrise from sunset, let alone the time of the day, and the only indicator they had seemed to be the broken roads they were travelling down. She took a deep breath, trying not to show concern about their surroundings, and the very real possibility of an ambush or assassin that waited behind every blackened tree and burnt thicket, and focused on trying to clear the fog that was slowly seeping into her mind's eye. Hanbei was being far less inconspicuous or sluggish than her; only a foot or two directly in front of the Auroran as they marched, she could practically see every time his eyes darted off to some innocent piece of crumbling vegetation like it was brandishing a knife.

Kazumi tried to distract herself by wondering if Yaksha had always looked like a giant ash tray.

"Everytime I set foot in this blasted kingdom I like it less..." Shingen mumbled from beside her. She blinked again, feeling the fog thicken - and from the way it tried burrowing its head deeper into the nook of her arm, Espeon felt it too - and looked up at the Terreran. Shingen wasn't really that much taller than her, only an inch or two, but she was beginning to understand why he used to be the favorite for unifying Ransei.

"It used to be better looking than this?" Kazumi asked, had the odd sensation of slowly losing awareness of her surroundings not been creeping up on her, she would have worded it differently. Shingen huffed.

"Keep in mind Terrera's a wasteland and Aurora's about as backwater as you can get in Ransei," the girl blinked self-consciously, and Shingen felt his lips tighten at the sight of more dying trees. "Still, Yaksha didn't look like someone put it in an oven before Nobunaga came."

The Terreran looked up at the messy sky, grey and sickly as the ground below, let out a sigh and put a hand to the moustache that his surroundings made look vibrant. "It wasn't always so bad a kingdom. Not when the Satake were in power."

"I heard of them, once," Kanbei voiced from right behind her - she thought it was of little coincidence that Hanbei seemed to perk up the moment that he heard Kanbei's voice, and immediately loosened his shoulders when the words registered. Shingen nodded.

"They didn't ever really figure into politics on the scale that me and Ujiyasu did, but Yoshishige was a terror on the field and kept Yaksha independent," Kazumi got the feeling Shingen was fighting back a smile. "Off it he was a riot. Could even drink Kenshin under the table."

The three other Warlords took a collective blink in disbelief, and Kazumi asked the obvious. "What happened?"

"Kotaro happened," Shingen nearly spat. "No one knows who he was before he picked up the name and served as Yoshishige's retainer - not even Ujiyasu or Nene - but one day he just decided to murder the entire Satake clan. Just like that. Killed Yoshishige in his sleep, and with the rest of the loyalists too busy running around like headless Torchics to put up an effective resistance, there was no one left to oppose his takeover..." Shingen's lips pulled at the edges of his face, and for a brief moment Kazumi felt something from him - apprehension? Suspicion, even? - before whatever vague sense she had of the Terrreran's inner turmoil was swallowed up by the nothingness that seemed to emanate from the very kingdom itself.

"Though," the Warlord in red's voice shook the Auroran out of her spell. "I heard rumors that a retainer managed to whisk Yoshishige's infant daughter away to one of the neighboring kingdoms during the massacre. But if they were true, she probably wouldn't know her own name, let alone who she really is."

Kazumi unwittingly gulped as she finally digested the information, while Hanbei became a little more zealous in inspecting the nearby foliage as they continued their march. She remembered the tactician mentioning he had given orders for Fontaine and Pugilis' armies to raid the neighboring Viperia to prevent any reinforcements from intercepting them - with that and now this, he was clearly trying to make up for their recent loss. Hanbei finally spoke up after a few minutes of tense silence.

"How are you holding up?" he whispered.

"Fine," the Warlord lied, the clammy feeling that had been dogging her every step of their trek into the kingdom suddenly growing into a smothering sensation that made it hard to even think clearly. Hanbei looked back when he heard Kazumi stagger and Espeon mewl in something between objection and pain. Shingen's ears perked up the second he heard both, eyes suddenly darting around the nearby warriors in what could only be described as paranoia. It only took a second for the Warlord's gaze to land on a glaringly inconspicuous warrior clad in the usual red of the so called Fire Cavalry that Terrera was infamous for. A warrior who hadn't been standing there - and was noticeably close to him, which made his anonymity even more of a tell - seconds before.

In the split second it took for Shingen to shift his focus away from the warrior and reach for the war fan dangling from the side of his belt, the man flashed a grin and brought his dangling arm straight up in the Terreran's direction. Shingen was barely able to keep the knife from reaching its mark, and without wasting any time, the would-be assassin pulled it back from the impromptu shield when Rhyperior moved to attack. He then spun around and cut the two nearest Terrerans, sidestepped the Drill Pokémon's Fire Punch, and then performed a backflip over the remaining warriors and their partners before they could react. Shingen growled, Kazumi felt her blood go cold at watching the two bodies crumple to the ground before her sight was mercifully obscured by Hanbei and Kanbei's backs. The remaining Terrerans quickly formed a human wall in front of a leering Shingen, drawing their weapons and frantically shouting orders at their partners. The Auroran summoned the force of will to push her way through the tacticans - over their objections - and was met with a sight far different than one she remembered from seconds before.

The assailant's build was the same; unusually tall and broad-shouldered, but aside from those minute details everything else had radically changed in what had to have been the blink of an eye. Gone was the familiar red armor of Terrera, replaced with a decidedly Yakshan mix of black and grey - it took Kazumi a second to realize the latter was in fact flesh and not some kind of mask - with the only real color on him being a dyed, thick-looking crimson that passed for hair. And besides him was one more detail that she and everyone else had somehow missed; a bipedal lupine Pokémon she failed to recognize, black as the warrior next to it and with an equally predatory grin. Demented grins that stayed plastered on their slate-like faces as they effortlessly avoided the barrage of attacks from the Terrerans, before forcing them to loosen ranks with a well placed Dark Pulse.

"Zoroark-" Kazumi heard the shinobi she assumed was Kotaro - because if she saw anyone who fit the bill of the man Shingen had been describing moments prior, it would be the person who had just tried to open his gut - start, only to suddenly spun around and swipe at Muneshige before the Violighter could plunge his claymore into the Yakshan's back. Metal snagged on metal - she noticed the elongated claws on Kotaro's gauntlets - and the Yakshan threw their deadlock up while Muneshige's partner bombarded Kotaro's with one flighty attack after another. Kazumi looked on in horror as Muneshige realized the gravity of his predicament; with both his hands on his sword, being held up above their heads with only one of the Warlord's gauntlets, that left his chest completely unprotected. Kotaro moved to plunge his other gauntlet into the Violighter's cuirass, but a sudden pillar of fire from somewhere in the line of Terrerans forced him to leap back. Zoroark took over before Muneshige could fully recover, wheeling around and bringing one claw to bear down on the Violighter's neck after landing a hit on his Staravia. The brunette blocked that in time, but could do little to grapple with the Shadow Claw Zoroark brought up with its other hand.

Muneshige let out a gurgle and staggered back just as his Staravia swept back down and put some more distance between the wounded Violighter and his assailant. Kotaro - having been busy fighting the six or so Terrerans who had charged him - leapt back right before an arc of electricity could collide with him. The Yakshan growled at the sight of Dosetsu hobbling forward - sword drawn and roaring out commands in a voice frightening enough to shake even Kotaro's sense of calm - with the rest of Violight and found himself unconsciously taking another step back at the sound of the regrouping Terrerans.

"Zoroark," the ninja growled out in a voice that sounded like sandpaper, eyes darting over the warriors charging him on both sides. "Night Daze."

"Cover your eyes!" Shingen yelled a moment too late, throwing up his fan in time. Kazumi was spared by her tacticians jumping in front of her, getting only the shadow of a black flash before it faded away to the collective shouting of warriors. She pushed her way through the Ignites again, curiosity and then panic driving her forward, completely disregarding Hanbei's objections and crossing over to where an assassination attempt had just taken place moments before, Espeon leaping out of her grip and darting ahead of her.

"Muneshige!" Dosetsu was already next to him by the time her gaze landed on the Violighter; he was struggling to stand, both hands resting on the pommel of his sword like a cane, but the Junior Warlord was still able to shoot her a smile and look her in the eyes.

"Don't worry, milady," Muneshige choked out, bringing himself to his full height in compensation. "It's just a flesh wound."

"Fool!" the older Violighter barked before she could, dashing the painful-looking front the younger one had been putting up. Kazumi caught a glimpse of the reddened rends in his otherwise unblemished armor before Dosetsu decided to drive his point home by slapping the back of Muneshige's head. He didn't flinch. "You'll only get yourself killed with talk like that."

"Sir," Muneshige said with a deference she seldom saw - to Ginchiyo, her brother, or even herself. Dosetsu sighed.

"You're no use here now with those cuts," Dosetsu let his steely eyes wander over to Shingen in the distance, who was busy talking in a low tone with the Junior Warlord that Ujiyasu had sent with them - Kai, Kazumi thought her name was, and she found herself feeling a little proud at having been able to remember the names of their steadily growing allies. "Go back to Cragspur, we can handle things here. You are not to engage any Avian warriors unless absolutely necessary."

Kazumi then realized that Shingen was asking the warriors Cragspur had provided to escort the wounded - and deceased, she felt herself gulp - back as well.

"Sir-" Muneshige's voice was as calm as ever.

"That's an order, Muneshige."

"Sir," the Violighter made a show of smiling and lifting up his arm for Staravia to perch on before striding, slowly, towards the convoy that was beginning to move with all the solemnity of a funeral procession. Dosetsu watched him go and let out a sigh, bowed to her and returned to his duty leading the rear just in time for Shingen to take his place.

"We should hurry," he said tiredly. The Warlord looked older to her all of a sudden, and she nodded.

"Lord Shingen?" the Auroran and Warlord in question blinked at the voice from behind her. Hanbei looked up and tried to keep that same blasé air about him that Kazumi had found somewhat comforting, but even that had gained a strain that was impossible to hide from her. "How'd you know to look for him?"

Shingen blinked, looked down at the tactician, and then at the equally curious-looking Psychic Type at Kazumi's boots.

"You and your Espeon," he replied sluggishly, looking at Kazumi. "Dark Types act as dampeners to Psychics - and the stronger or closer they are, the more powerful the effect. And since none of us brought a Dark Type Pokémon and there were none in sight, I figured it was probably Kotaro's Zoroark trying to mask their presence; the only reason I'm fairly certain we're not still under its illusion is because of your partner."

Shingen turned and nodded to himself as he went back to his warriors. "Yes, even broken or blunted weapons can still have their uses..."

"Ah," Hanbei replied quietly, silently cursing himself for not picking up the signs earlier. The slightly smaller army then returned to their march, uncomfortably silent and moving at a tense pace through the remnants of the landscape without so much as even a glimpse of another soul. It gave Kazumi the chills thinking about what Yaksha had to endure in the past to come out so cold and colorless, the sight giving her vague reminders of stories her uncle would tell them about what Violight was once like.

Hanbei's nervous gazing had intensified, and if he kept up looking around like that it would only be a matter of time until his eyes rolled out of his head.

"Hanbei," Kazumi finally cleared her throat - she also doubted the Pikachu resting underneath his beret was happy at being moved around every second. He stopped looking around, but made a point of staying in front of her.

"Sorry," he said quietly, and she got the impression he was apologizing for more than that. "I did a bit of reading on Yakshan tactics yesterday, and frankly I'm convinced that attempt earlier was just a ruse."

The Auroran blinked, suddenly becoming more aware of her surroundings themselves, even if she couldn't feel them anymore - she was beginning to suspect that the link she shared with Espeon allowed her to read more than the Pokémon's thoughts, and it crossed her mind to ask Shingen or one of the Illusites more about it when the chance popped up.

"What?" Kanbei huffed from behind them, and she suddenly felt silly that he seemed to be the most unconcerned of the three of them.

"It is also quite possible," the albino's dark voice rang out before Hanbei had a chance to extrapolate on his suspicions. "That their abstinence is an attack of itself."

"What?" this time it was the tactician in white who said it. The brunette of the group looked over her shoulder in time to see Kanbei nod, tapping a few gauntleted fingers against the grip of his cane.

"Simple; they mean to drive us insane," Kanbei's eyes drifted from her to his counterpart. "And it seems to be working."

Hanbei's only reply was an indignant huff as he turned around, crossing his arms as he continued to skulk forwards.

_"Was... that his way of trying to get him to cheer up?"_ Kazumi wondered when she caught the ghost of a smirk flash across Kanbei's pale features. The Warlord turned to look back at Hanbei; he might not have been willing to show any outward signs of comfort, but she could see quite easily that some of the tension in his shoulders was gone.

"Still," Kanbei continued after a few moments of quite. Hanbei blinked and looked up, his face having gone from an exaggerated smarting to something resembling mild contemplation. "You noticed it too?"

The question literally went over Kazumi's head, but the other tactician seemed to get it.

"Yeah," Hanbei replied, voice returning to the grave tone that felt out of place on him. "It's not just too quiet, it's too lifeless."

The Warlord took another quick glance around her at her surroundings; aside from the dying vegetation and increasingly bleak sky, there was nothing in sight. In fact, it looked like nothing had ever been there to begin with.

"I didn't think Yaksha would have a large army, but even with only a few warriors they'd still have to leave some sort of trail if they were following us or laying a trap or something..." Kazumi got the feeling Hanbei had just grimaced. "But there's nothing. No footprints, no noises, no breaks in the vegetation - heck, we're even running out of trees for people to hide behind, anyways - we haven't even seen any wild Pokémon. This whole Kingdom looks like one big ghost town."

Hanbei's lips pursed. "And holing up in their castle," the tactician in white then gestured to the decrepit looking mansion that had just appeared on the horizon, surrounded by the familiar sight of equally decrepit fauna and some burnt-out buildings. "Goes against not only conventional Yakshan tactics, but common sense itself. There's just no sense to it from-"

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Kazumi finally spoke up, having spent the past few moments pouring over the details of Hanbei's increasingly frustrated analysis. "What if one of our basic assumptions is wrong?"

Hanbei and Kanbei blinked simultaneously.

"Maybe they don't have as many warriors as we think they do," the Auroran continued hesitantly. "Why only Kotaro? Why not send someone after us, too? I can understand not wanting to risk warriors in an ambush that could go south, but you'd think they would want to take out two Flying Types with one stone when they had the chance."

"They could have withheld troops to attack us on the way back, assuming Kotaro would have been successful," Kanbei offered up finally, sounding more than a little uncertain and less than happy at vocalizing the point. Kazumi put a hand to her chin, debating for a split second whether she had subconsciously adopted the mannerism from Kanbei or Motonari before replying.

"Maybe. But-" the Auroran cut herself off when she realized the implications of what Kanbei had just said, and was about to wheel around and look back towards where their Cragspur guides had vanished into before Hanbei cut her off.

"I don't think they'd be attacked, protecting the injured or not," the raven-haired Ignite said. "Cragspur knows the lay of the land better than we do, and they would lose more time than they have by waiting to spring an ambush now."

His amethyst eyes flickered from her back to the front. "Anyways, look sharp."

Kazumi angled her head to look past him; the mansion that had seemed so distant moments prior was now looming over them, what little of the slowly-setting sun she could make out casting a long shadow over their army. She felt a chill run down her spine when they quickly pushed their way through the unlocked gates - they looked ready to fall off their rusting hinges at any moment, and she didn't fancy on being underneath them when they finally did - and took a preemptive look around the walled-off courtyard. Nothing; no shadows hiding behind the atrophying ruins of what once was Yaksha's castle town, no sudden cries in agony as warriors sprung up from whatever Zekrom-forsaken place they were hiding in, only a gulp from Hanbei and the sounds of warriors tentatively looking around the rubble that passed as Yaksha's courtyard. She had found herself gravitating towards Shingen as her tacticans went off to organize their troops, the girl thinking his dulled greys and reds matched quite nicely with the mansion he was staring up at.

"So, it really is true..." he had muttered it, but whether he had said it to himself or just kept his voice low out of some strange sense of respect she didn't know.

"What?" she took pride in having, for the fraction of a second, slightly startled the bulky Terreran, and much to her relief he let the hand that had gone to his war fan fall back by his side.

"Nobunaga putting Yaksha to the torch is common knowledge," Kazumi nodded in agreement as the Warlord spun around, and she instinctively grabbed at her bare arms when a sharp gust of wind suddenly overtook them. "What isn't well known is that Kotaro tried assassinating Nobunaga during the battle."

Kazumi blinked, blue orbs taking another quick glance around the desolate courtyard. "You mean he tried that stunt before?"

"On a larger scale, too. He planned on leading most of his army in a raid of Dragnor's main camp while Nobunaga's army was busy trying to flush them out of the forest," Shingen's mouth tightened and he stayed silent for a second. "Ujiyasu said Kotaro was the only warrior from Yaksha to show up in Cragspur."

In the time the Auroran had been silent, Shingen had produced a small scabbard from underneath his robes. Time slowed and panic rendered her legs useless when she caught sight of the red lacquer, and admist unspoken pleas silently cursed herself for walking into the now all-too obvious trap.

_"What a way to go out; murdered in front of everyone without-"_

"Here," Shingen said without skipping a beat, holding the dagger up to her, hilt pointed at her. Kazumi forced herself to blink after feeling her heart skip a beat, and slowly grabbed it. She let out a quiet breath when the Terreran let his hand drop back to his side.

"Why?" the Warlord in red looked down at her Espeon, who had been about to pounce on the unsuspecting man before he relinquished the weapon.

"Because you're the only one of us that's defenseless," Espeon's response to the deadpan was a few choice words Kazumi felt would be better left untranslated. "And that makes you the easiest and most obvious target."

The only response the brunette could muster was a grim nod as she checked the cold steel in her frail-looking hands. She tucked the blade into the folds of the purple sash tied around her waist, and silently prayed she wouldn't have to use it. Shingen took another glance over his shoulder, towards a statue of the Pokémon she had seen by Kotaro's side earlier - Zoroark, was it? - and the doors leading into the mansion behind it.

"Listen," Shingen's voice returned to the strained tone it had been at for the past hour. "Kotaro was already off his rocker. But whatever happened here has probably pushed him over the brink. If you run into him - and you will - don't bother trying to reason with him."

Kazumi nodded and then blinked when his wording registered. "Are you saying you're not going to be there with us?"

Shingen frowned.

"We're going to have to split up, yes," he continued before she could voice her objection. "Travelling in one large group will make it just as easy for him to pick us off as if we decided to run around the mansion individually; it'll also be near impossible to flush him out. We'll also need to leave some men behind to block the exits: if Kotaro escapes there's no telling what he'll try to do."

Kazumi nodded, taking a glance over her shoulder at the aging Violighter who was busy trying to form up their ranks, aided with a commanding roar from his Luxray.

"Dosetsu will probably be disappointed he'll be left behind," she commented dryly. Shingen let out a hollow chuckle.

"He'll make do," the Terreran turned toward the gates of Yaksha's mansion, eyed them for a quick second, and then lowered a finger in their direction. "Rhyperior. Rock Wrecker!"

* * *

"Hey, Masamune," the Warlord in question, having been previously enjoying the solitude of his chambers, looked up from his glass in annoyance and resisted the urge to yell 'Lord' at the mercenary.

"What?" the Avian growled out, downing the small cup sitting on his desk with a single gulp and slamming it back down. Magoichi was the only other person who knew it was only milk, and the Junior Warlord just crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.

"Just got the news; Aurora and Terrera have headed south with a sizeable amount of Cragspur's warriors. Fontaine and Pugilis' armies have also gone east to attack Viperia; if there was ever a time to attack Cragspur, it's-"

"No," Masamune said firmly, standing up, crossing his arms and letting out a snort. "What sort of imbecile do they take me for?"

Magoichi blinked, and the Warlord of Avia shot him a glare before he could even open his mouth. "It's obviously a trap - I'll bet my good eye that they'll send some of the troops invading Yaksha back to pincer us - and they're probably desperate to get a prisoner of their own. No, we're not going to attack Cragspur yet," he let his face break out into a grin. "But we can use this to our advantage."

The mercenary raised an eyebrow, while Masamune crossed his arms and looked out the window next to the portrait of his father; the one that offered a view on the road to Viperia.

"Magoichi, I want you to lead some troops into Viperia and bail out Nene; she always repays her debts," the brunette turned to back to face his subordinate, and Magoichi got the all-too familiar feeling of an eyepatch boring into him with more intensity than any glare. "Also, I want Kojuro to stake out the roads leading to Terrera; I have a feeling that once Kotaro's through with her, our Auroran friend will want to go back to Terrera or Chrysalia."

The Mercenary nodded and left Masamune to finish whatever plan for domination of Ransei he had started concocting.

* * *

"Was that really necessary?" Kazumi grumbled as they stepped over what was left of the doors to Yaksha's mansion, only to be immediately assaulted by the musty atmosphere and dim lighting of the mansion that reminded her all-too much of Terrera's infirmary.

"It could have very well been rigged," Shingen's reply and the sound of Rhperior crushing broken pieces of wood underfoot provided a welcome distraction.

"I think we should be worrying about that when we get deeper into the castle," Hanbei mumbled, kicking aside a stray piece of door with his sandal. Pikachu let out a yawn in agreement. Kanbei's only contribution to the conversation was scanning their surroundings while they talked.

"Anyways," Shingen coughed out, taking a quick glance around at the twenty or so assembled warriors, their Pokémon, and the forking paths that they found themselves in. "Masakage, you and your men will accompany Lady Kazumi." The masked man's eyes drifted down to the Warlord. "Good luck. The rest of you; with me."

The Terreran spun on his heel and headed down the leftwards passage, a few warriors and their partners rushing to get ahead of him. Kazumi gave a belated nod and then turned to look at the only path left to her; the darkened hallway that undoubtedly led into the heart of Yaksha's castle, and its insane resident who was probably waiting for the right moment to slit her neck. The Auroran suddenly found herself wishing she had a mask like Shingen.

"I'll go ahead, Lady Kazumi," Hanbei volunteered, taking a step forward. Kazumi let a second of apprehension pass by before she put a hand on his shoulder, stopping the tactician dead in his tracks.

"No," the Warlord replied as firmly as her nerves would let her. Espeon below mewled out an objection, but Kazumi ignored it; she couldn't afford to show weakness or fear, not here. And letting Hanbei lead would only just make him a target, too - and she didn't want to risk losing someone else she cared about. Hanbei stared back at her for a moment, purple meeting blue in a silent plea, before he finally closed his eyes and acquiesced with a resigned nod. Kazumi let her lips curl into a half-smile, dropped her hand, and took a few steps forward.

And then the entire hallway went completely black.

"Kazumi!" in her panic, she had little time to question why Hanbei's voice sounded distant. She instead spun back around - or, at least, she thought she did; the Auroran could barely make out her own hand - and stumbled about, reaching out for anything to guide her with one hand while keeping the other on the hilt of the dagger Shingen had given her. She could see and feel nothing; not even through her link with Espeon. But, eventually an image did begin to materialize; a familiar outline and a dull white.

"Hanbei?" she finally called out, taking a few steps in direction of apparition-like silhouette, who turned to face her.

"Milady?" Kazumi heard the immediate reply.

From behind her.

The Auroran had no time to register her shock and horror - she just spun away from the other image of Hanbei.

"No!" she meant to say it, but apparently Kanbei had also figured out what had happened. Kazumi raced in the direction she heard the other Ignite's voice - the same direction she heard the real Hanbei's question - only to run face-first into something thick and unmoving. Kazumi let out an 'omph' in pain, clenching her eyes shut and rubbing her nose as she stumbled backwards; when she opened her eyes again, she could see. And she wasn't in the hallway anymore; she couldn't even see where it or anyone else was. The brunette tried reaching through her link with Espeon to find out what happened, where she and everyone else was, only to have her blood run cold when she found a mental wall blocking her from feeling or talking to her partner. The Auroran gulped, the sudden sense of isolation slowly smothering her.

"Nice of you to finally join us," she recognized the voice and it immediately made her skin crawl. A second glance around the room - it had the exact same architectural style she had seen in the rest of the castle, so at least she knew she was somewhere in it - failed to reveal where Kotaro was.

"What do you want?" Kazumi's apprehension was the only thing keeping her from spitting it out as she stood up and tried to ignore the dull throbbing in her nose. There was a short moment of silence that she used to try find out which direction the first statement had come from, and then the gravelly reply echoed throughout the room.

"Why don't we play a game?"

"I'm not in the mood," she tried to put up a brave face. The only response she got was a multi-directional chuckle that had her eyes darting from one corner of the room to another.

"Maybe your friends would be more willing," there was a momentary pause that clearly was an attempt to intimidate her. It worked. "That one in white seemed _awfully_ eager to-"

"Fine," the Warlord hissed, settling for shooting the roof a venomous look. Her answer was another hoarse chuckle, and when she looked back down she could see a door opposite to her that hadn't been there a second prior. She took a cautious half-step towards the panel door, almost waiting for Kotaro to suddenly appear out of nowhere and attack her, but when nothing came she mustered up a little more confidence and strode over to the door.

Kazumi let out a shaky breath as she rested her palm on the door, dreading whatever she might find on the other side, and gulped as she slided it open with abandon. The brunette blinked at the familiar - and had little time to ponder if she actually felt relief at seeing it - face she was met with.

"Heh, I'm impressed a couple 'ah greenhorns like yaselves got this far..." Hideyoshi muttered, the tired brown of his eyes peering into her. They were in Ignis' throne room, she suddenly noticed; warriors and Pokémon as tired-looking as Hideyoshi all lurking about the pillars and braziers scattered about the ornate room. She caught sight of Tadashi and Oichi out of the corner of her eye, and Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori occupied the other side. And from every pair of eyes in the room being on her, the panting and emotionless Eevee at her feet - not even Zoroark could replicate the link she felt with Espeon - and Hideyoshi and his partner across from her, she could tell that the battle she had stumbled into was down to the wire. Her, and the biggest thorn in their side during their earliest days as Warlords. It was the strangest sense of nostalgia, a twisted memory like this, but she could feel her blood beginning to pump as she stared the Warlord of Ignis down. It was almost comforting, even, the familiarity of it all.

"But it ends here! Chimchar, Fury Swipes!" with a mighty screech, the Chimp Pokémon barreled itself forward, lanky arms raised akimbo over its head. It looked more like a dance than a charge, Kazumi thought with no small amount of amusement.

"Dodge and counter with Quick Attack!" even without their link the Eevee next to her moved with all the efficiency and direction that one was able to provide. It cut in front of Chimchar, who unleashed a series of loosely controlled cuts that the Evolution Pokémon easily avoided, and then rounded back and slammed headfirst into the Fire Type's back. Hideyoshi's partner crashed into one of the ostentations pillars lining the room, only to stand back up and brush itself off before Eevee could ram back into it again. The Normal Type spun to avoid crashing itself into the column, and then raced back to her side to avoid the barrage of flames Chimchar spat out at it.

The moment Eevee came to a stop, however, was when Hideyoshi's partner slammed into it with a Flame Wheel. Kazumi's first instinct was to think that the barrage of flames had just been cover for the attack, the quiet objection of where she being drowned out over the rush of adrenaline. Her head whipped back to her partner, ignoring Hideyoshi's call for her to give up as the Evolution Pokémon got back on all fours and growled at the simian that had sent it hurtling.

"Shadow Ball!" the Auroran cried out with another tinge of nostalgia that didn't quite register as being nostalgia, levelling a finger down at the miniscule Fire Type below.

"Counter with Ember!" Chimchar spewed out another barrage of the flames, but she watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the orb of ghostly energy broke through each and every one of them and crashed into the Chimp Pokémon. Hideyoshi's partner flew back again, landing at his feet, and she felt her chest swell with the eurphoria of victory to the cheering backdrop of her comrades.

"Ignis is-" her declaration petered off when she caught sight of Hideyoshi; head hung and shoulders shaking, it was an almost pathetic sight from someone who she had come to view as eternally optimistic as Hanbei.

And then she realized he was laughing.

"Ya got us good, all right, Lady Kazumi," it was something Hideyoshi would say, she noted - and even how he would say it - but it wasn't in a voice he would use. This one had lost all of its joviality and descended into a smoldering malaise. He glanced back up at her, brown eyes instantly hardening the moment they met her blue. "But you're still just a couple of greenhorns. Koroku!"

Kazumi spun around when the heavy doors behind her burst open, Ignite warriors led by Hideyoshi's semi-competent commander pouring in behind them and surrounding her. The feeling of familiarity turned sour but stuck.

"And I'm gonna take a guess and say that Hanbei and Kanbei have gotten to Aurora by now," came the non-sequitur from the not-so-defeated Warlord behind her, and the girl felt a very familiar chill run up her back at the mention of their kingdom. The Auroran turned around slowly, catching Tadashi and Oichi's distraught visages as she did, and met Hideyoshi's gaze once more. He crossed his arms, cocked his head, and smirked in a vaguely recognizable way, though the expression looked like it belonged on some else.

"Tell ya what," the Ignite said, distracting the brunette momentarily from glaring daggers at the interfering warriors out of the corner of her eyes. "Surrender now, and I'll put ya in charge of Aurora." Kazumi didn't need to look at her brother to know he had flinched. "Ya can help bring peace to Ransei and keep protecting your Kingdom."

"And if I don't?" she asked weakly. Hideyoshi shrugged and looked down at his fingernails, leaving her to stew in the uncomfortable silence he had cast over the humid room. Her eyes glanced back to her twin for a second - who was busy gazing between Hideyoshi and her with a barely controlled growl, and had it not been for the warriors surrounding her he probably would have rushed between her and Hideyoshi - before she quietly mulled over the options presented to her, the gravity of the situation beginning to sink in. And above all else, her thoughts kept drifting back to her brother; of her desire to keep the two of them off the streets, of how he would handle being sidelined as a Warlord yet again, of the idea of losing the Kingdom they had been entrusted with not a week yet into her tenure - they would probably end up the laughing stocks of Ransei, having been so easily outwitted and lured into a trap. And then it hit her, the realization scattering the fog that had descended over her mind;

Hideyoshi wasn't this competent.

Kazumi's response was directed at the ceiling. "If you want to frighten me, you're going to have to try a lot harder."

There was a stillborn silence as the scene around her faded away into nothingness, and the Auroran found herself in a room not unlike the one she first wound up in.

"Frighten you?" there was another low chuckle from Kotaro that failed to give her any indication as to where he could be. "That's an amusing thought. Why don't you go on to your next trial now?"

_"Trial?"_ the Auroran looked around bitterly at hearing that, eyes finally landing on the only door in the room, which was conveniently placed right in her path. Kazumi slowly strode over to it, steeled her nerves, and pushed it open.

Kazumi remembered the scene she stumbled into all too well. Hanbei and Kanbei flanked her as they walked down the streets of Aurora, the former trying to comfort her frayed nerves from two days of constant running and futile resistance.

"Though, without Lord Motonari..." Hanbei added on as almost an afterthought, breaking what had been otherwise a perfect repetition of events. She blinked in confusion while Kanbei dropped his head in a solemn silence.

"We shall make do. We have to; he taught us to," the other Ignite said quietly. Kazumi shook her head in disbelief, looking around for any sign of their grassy-haired strategist. None: not even a single Grass Type Pokémon. Then her memory returned to their defense of Ignis, how they desperately held off the marauding Pugilis army to no avail, to how Motonari, Hanbei and Kanbei had proposed luring them into the cave networks where the Greenleafer could isolate and defeat their army piecemeal. And how even he had lost.

And then Kazumi realized in abject horror where events had diverged here - and how hopeless things looked now without his strategies.

Her gaze snapped up at the sound of an ear-splitting roar from the front, the sight of panicking warriors quickly flooding her vision.

"What's going on!?" she tried peering over the warriors in front of her to no avail. Hanbei had better luck.

"Pugilis is already attacking! They must have stolen the march! We nee-" whatever he was about to say got drowned out by the sight of warriors being sent flying into the nearby buildings as Yoshihiro pummeled his way through their ranks. The next few moments were a panicked blur; she remembered the streets dissolving into anarchy as Pugilite warriors poured into their formation, turning once orderly lines into uneven brawls. She got separated from her tacticians, slowly inching her way back in the direction of the castle as more and more warriors made it through. But Eevee could only fight for so long and so hard; and just as it was on the cusp of passing out from sheer exhaustion, Yoshihiro finally forced his way through another line of warriors.

With no need for civility, Kazumi felt a wave of different emotions rush over her at seeing the septuagenarian; anger for him having caused Tadashi so much misery (so she liked to believe), disappointment for having let the Pugilite come this far, guilt for relying on Motonari to the point where she was practically a lamb to the slaughter without him, and fear at knowing how hopelessly outmatched she was against the Warlord. Sapphire orbs flitted down to her beleaguered partner, and then back to Yoshihiro.

"Why?" she whispered loud enough for her opponent to hear, begging for one of the warriors in the crowd to notice her predicament and help.

"Why not?" Yoshihiro replied with a hearty laugh, pounding a fist against his breastplate. "If you can't defend your kingdom, you were never fit to have it to begin with."

_"Easy to say when you have a type advantage and a fully evolved Pokémon..."_ Kazumi shot back internally, but settled for clenching her jaw. "And that involves crushing everyone in your path?"

"Motonari went quietly like a true warrior," the other Warlord stated with a small grin. The Auroran just felt her stomach churn. "I'd expect better from one of his students."

Kazumi took a second's glance back over her shoulder, looking back up to the castle balcony where her brother had once stood, watching in utter misery as she left him behind. Part of her hoped that he was still watching, that she would be able to catch his gaze and silently plead for him to help, to save her and show him that he wasn't useless because right now she was. The Auroran's hopes were crushed when the only thing that stared back at her were the walls of the keep.

"I'm not giving up Aurora!" the brunette finally shouted, mustering up all her courage and dropping into a fighting stance as Yoshihiro's Conkeldurr stomped forward. _"Tadashi... Everyone... I can't fail. Not here."_

"You got spirit, kid, I'll give you that," the elder stated grimly, motioning for his partner to attack.

The battle was over in one move.

Before Kazumi even got the chance to vomit at the sight of her crushed partner, another swipe from Conkeldurr sent her flying back into the dirt.

_"Was this what it felt like going up against Zekrom?"_ she wondered as she pushed herself back up, ignoring the stinging of her elbows and the taste of earth and blood in her mouth. She chanced a glance back up, catching Yoshihiro ambivalently watching her struggle to stand. _"This hopelessness?"_

"Now!" Kazumi felt her breath catch as the ground beneath Conkeldurr opened up, afraid something worse and even more surreal and twisted was about to charge out at her. And then she started to panic when she felt a hand snake its way under her arm. The only thing that stopped her from outright screaming was seeing that it was an Eevee that had propelled itself out of the earth and straight into the Fighting Type, and then the Warlord took a cautious look up at the person who was lifting her back to her feet.

Kazumi had never been more relieved to see her twin's face in her life. The only thing keeping her from giving him the tightest hug she could muster was the Pugilite a few yards away.

"Leave him to me," Tadashi said quietly, eyes flashing gold and his link with Eevee visibly responding. She blinked in utter confusion before her eyes drifted back to his partner, and it clicked when the Pokémon seemed to gain an adrenaline rush all of a sudden, easily outmaneuvering all of Conkeldurr's attacks and hitting it with much more power than before.

_"That's... That's impossible... Warrior Abilities can't be used at will!"_ Warrior Abilities, she knew, were what truly separated warriors from commoners who just happened to have a strong bond with a certain Pokémon - actually demarcating that someone was capable of forming links with them. But a warrior being able to use it at will was near-unheard of; she herself had only used hers twice over the course of her entire life, and both times it had left her exhausted. But it was impossible to deny; Tadashi's Eevee now had the upper hand, the co-Warlord standing silently besides her and pouring all his energy and focus into coordinating the battle through his link. And that was why Tadashi didn't see the stray attack until it was too late.

The inconspicuous rock had launched itself out of the melee and sailed straight into his unprotected temple; of course, he was still wearing his old maedate and not the newer armor - complete with an actual helmet - that he had been electrocuted in. Tadashi cried out in pain and collapsed into the dirt, eyes glancing up at her in shock as the blood began to trickle down from the wound. And with the sudden break in contact, Eevee had stayed in one spot for too long; though tired, Conkeldurr still managed to swipe the Evolution Pokémon into a nearby tea shop. Even with her gaze still fixated on Tadashi, who was becoming more glassy-eyed by the second, she could still feel Yoshihiro's smug grin boring into her back. That was when she started to see red.

Kazumi grabbed the sword from Tadashi's hip, threw away the scabbard, and charged the Pugilite with as fierce a war cry as she could muster. Conkeldurr, spent from the battle, was easily outmaneuvered, and she angled the tip of the steel to pierce the elder's armor. She took some satisfaction at finally catching Yoshihiro defenseless, and right before the blade could pierce his heart the vision that had felt all too real had begun to fade away.

Kazumi gasped and then let out a panicked breath of relief when she realized she was only gripping air. Her arms were no longer burning and the taste of copper was gone from her mouth, but her knees were still shaking, the sweat continued to collect on her brow, and the image of her brother was still engraved in her mind. And then came the infuriating chuckle that she sadly knew all too well; at this point, the Auroran was convinced Kotaro was just doing it to rub salt into the wound.

"How-" she hissed, looking around at the identically empty and featureless room as the last two, suddenly wishing that the sword she had in her hands moments ago was real. She had watched Ginchiyo and Tadashi practice long enough that she was confident that her growing rage would be able to make up for her utter lack of experience.

"Psychics aren't the only ones who can pick minds," came the grim reply. Kazumi rubbed her forehead, the sudden knowledge that her foe was also able to invade her thoughts frustrating her even more and leaving her feeling very self-conscious.

"Why?" the Warlord asked tiredly.

"Because all warriors are the same," came Kotaro's reply, derived of any of the lightness his voice previously had. Kazumi blinked in confusion. "Your squabbles and pathetic striving are just a source of entertainment for me."

There was a pause. "And I prefer an honest war to a false peace - and that's all you and Nobunaga will be able to bring."

"What?" Kazumi blurted out, feeling even more exhausted than she had seconds prior. She waited there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling for an answer. When none came she took that as her cue to step into the next phase of her torture, and silently hoped that Hanbei and everyone else was safe by virtue of the Yakshan and his Zoroark being too preoccupied with her. Maybe if she could drag this out long enough one of their groups might be able to find her, she mused as her hand went to what felt like the same door she had slid open the past two times.

The next scene she stepped into was complete unfamiliar, and immediately sent a chill down her spine.

The room was decidedly Ignite in an architectural sense and had all the mugginess of the castle that she remembered, but it was entirely unfamiliar to her. It _looked_ like a throne room of sorts, but there was no throne in sight; instead, most of the room was dark, but she could tell she had stepped into a large circle of jade pillars from the few braziers that adorned the room. And then she heard the chanting.

It was barely understandable to her; it was either a very bad pantomime of the western dialect she tried not to slip into when around Shingen and her other allies who used the more _refined_ central one, or an archaic version of it. Given that the content - at least, from what she could understand of it - sounded like a prayer, Kazumi went for the latter. And then she made out the silhouette at the edge of the circle, back turned to her and flanked distantly by two braziers so where the only detail she could make out were his raised hands. Even if she couldn't make out the figure, and Kazumi certainly didn't feel like trying her luck and interrupting him, his voice triggered some vague recognition in the back of her mind, nagging at her with its familiarity.

And then the prayer ended, and the figure dropped his arms. The long sleeves of his scarlet coat had cast shadows over his head, and now with them gone she could see his hair clearly enough; Kazumi's heart skipped a beat when she recognized the very distinctive color, and she realized who the voice belonged to.

"It was good of you to come," Motonari said mildly as he stepped forward into the shifting light the dancing flames provided. Kazumi then understood why she had failed to immediately recognize the voice earlier; this version of the Greenleafer couldn't have been more than a few years older than her. Motonari's mossy hair was longer, strong chin and haughty nose seeming a little sharper, and his eyes burned with a vibrancy that looked out of place on such an otherwise collected face. "And now you must face the crucible where your past and present meet."

Kazumi blinked in confusion, failing to see how the Greenleafer she had only known for the better part of the year could play a role in her past. "What?"

"Ah, forgive me," Motonari said with his usual smile, sheepishly running his hand through the back of his hair. Vision or not, Kazumi had to admit the speech and mannerisms were uncanny. "Doubtlessly you have questions you want to ask first."

She mulled over the offer for a second before shaking her head. "No," the Auroran replied with a small sigh. "You're just another vision."

"Am I?" the man replied, folding his arms behind his back patiently, small smile taking on an almost knowing tone. Kazumi felt her throat go dry. None of the other apparitions or herself had been self-aware in the past two visions, and this one somehow felt different; like one of those dreams where she knew she was dreaming and could control it. For all the Auroran knew this could have just been Kotaro changing tactics to throw her off balance, but that line of thought also reminded her of her own circumstances and so she ultimately decided to humor whatever she was staring at.

"Then what are you?" Motonari blinked vapidly and turned on his heel.

"What am I? What am I..." he put a hand to his chin as he slowly paced between the braziers - at this point she was clueless if the Warlord was considering the question of just doing it for show - before he came to a stop and turned back to her.

"I am but a mirror," the Greenleafer said quietly as he resumed his former position, face settling back into the same unreadable calm as before. Previously it had been something of a comfort to Kazumi; now set against the shadows of the fires it looked vaguely sinister. "And whatever you see in me is entirely up to you."

Kazumi frowned, taking another step into a better lit part of the circle. "Then what were you?"

"What _was_ I?" she caught his lips curling upwards at that, followed by a small chuckle that would have felt entirely out of place on the Motonari she knew, yet seemed to go perfectly with this one. It just set her on edge even more. "A very good question - I have yet to quite figure it out myself."

The brunette got the feeling that she would get a similarly slippery answer out of the real Warlord, and took that as her cue to ask something that she had a better chance of getting an answer on.

"What is this place?" Kazumi immediately regretted not specifying if she meant Yaksha or whatever room the vision had conjured up, even if she had yet to figure out which one she wanted to ask about. The scarlet-clad apparition across from her offered up a gracious smile.

"Yaksha itself is a graveyard now, a kingdom in name only. Dark Type Pokémon and others close to them had always been drawn here by the climate, and I suppose it suits them in a macabre way, but the scars and sorrow have become too much for even them too handle, let alone for humans. The castle itself is the lone survivor of the Kingdom; left standing as a reminder of the kingdom's desolation to its sole prisoner," Kazumi took a silent gulp at what she had just heard from the illusion - she tried not to dwell on the why, as she figured that would be something she wouldn't get an answer for - who then turned and busied himself by staring up at one of the columns flanking him. "As for this place, it was once part of Ignis' Castle - before it was destroyed, mind you."

Motonari then stepped to the side to give her a clear view of the vacant pedestal he had been facing when she first entered. "The most sacred part of the castle, in fact; where the Light Stone was once held."

That sent her mind into overdrive, memories flashing back to Zekrom looming over them in the sands, of the old legends of its counterpart and how it would choose a warrior it felt was worthy. And if Zekrom was awakened by Nobunaga-

"Where is the Light Stone now?" Kazumi asked with more enthusiasm than she wanted to give away. Motonari's response was an apathetic shrug.

"I can't say," he replied absently. "Perhaps the hero Reshiram chose simply gave up? Perhaps Reshiram feels that there is no one honest enough left in Ransei to even appear to," the Greenleafer's voice dropped. "It is a terrible thing, the truth, you know. Ideals are easy to believe in, but the truth? It's much more simple to just be apathetic."

He blinked, and resettled his eyes on the girl to see his soliloquy had done little to damper her eagerness. "And would finding the Light Stone truly be of any help to you?"

"Of course!" the girl nearly shouted, taking another step forward. The Greenleafer's gaze just returned to her, and his figure obscured the shrine again. "Nobunaga has formed a link with Zekrom! With Reshiram I could-"

"Could," Motonari said, the harshness of the retort mitigated by him looking down at the marble below. His gaze flickered back up, and the moment their eyes met she felt her legs suddenly grow weak.

"Tell me," the man continued, tone softening. "Why are you here?" He blinked self-consciously and the sheepish smile returned. "In Yaksha, I mean."

She crossed her arms, careful to keep one eye on the man across from her for any sudden movements. Motonari just stood there patiently as she shifted through her thoughts.

"Because Yaksha is controlled by Dragnor?" she said uneasily, feeling like she was answering a trick question. "And Nobunaga will destroy Ransei if I don't stop him."

Motonari's faced dropped, and Kazumi felt inclined to take a step back.

"And," the Greenleafer began, voice level and squaring his shoulders. "What will you do once you have defeated Nobunaga?"

The first response that came to her mind was executing him, but Kazumi swallowed that, because that would be stooping to the conqueror's level. "I... I don't know."

The younger Motonari's eyes narrowed, and the Auroran got the impression the vision was able to read her like an open book. He probably could.

"No?" his response was drawn out, almost like a slither. "Then what makes you think you will prove yourself worthy to Reshiram if you can't even demonstrate the truth of your cause?"

Kazumi gritted her teeth, the rebuttal slamming into her harder than any of the attacks Conkeldurr had launched at her. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Motonari let out a laugh, and Kazumi nearly flinched. Hearing Nobunaga's laugh had sent a chill down her back at how hollow it was; Motonari's caused her blood to run cold at how tortured it was, and she realized she had never once heard the real Motonari laugh either. The Greenleafer abruptly cut off his cackling, eyes drifting down to her as his face resettled into an emotionless visage.

"I have no personal desires or ambitions," Motonari said quietly, closing his eyes. "I simply bring my schemes to life..." they shot back open, and Kazumi found his gaze to be as piercing as the Warlord of Dragnor's. "And slay my enemies."

A heavy moment of quiet passed.

"Now what?" the Auroran finally mustered up the courage to ask.

"Now..." the vision of Motonari began, tone almost sorrowful. Kazumi practically felt the knots in her stomach multiplying. The Greenleafer gazed up at the ceiling, nodded, and then looked back to her, letting out a resigned sigh. "Now you must kill me if you want to move forward."

The Warlord's breath caught in her throat when she noticed the sword that had suddenly appeared in her hand - and the thin gleam of metal coming from his.

"No! I'm not going to kill anyone in-" Motonari shook his head.

"Then your apathy will be your death," that was the only warning she got before he launched himself across the gap between them, blade poised for her neck. Kazumi barely managed to draw her sword and parry in time.

"You're just a vision!" she yelled out in exasperation, silently hoping that saying it would make this all fade away like the first one. Motonari's lips curled upwards as he spun back around.

"Then you should have no problem in bloodying your hands," the second strike at her neck - brought with what felt like the force of a whirlwind - was barely stopped in time. Kazumi tried not to hyperventilate, thinking back to the one time she had seen Motonari duel; the only advantages he had over Ginchiyo were his speed and knowing how to irritate her enough to get her to slip up in her form. But the vision was much younger and also had a proper weapon; one he was clearly skilled at compared to her complete ignorance. She was at least faster than Ginchiyo, if not clumsier - she could only allow herself to slowly be herded up against one of the pillars in her desperate defense, barely being able to meet all of his swipes and thrusts before they could cut into her. Kazumi felt tears begin to form in her eyes when she felt her back hit the marble, hands shaking uncontrollably as she tried to hold her sword between her eyes; she knew she was hopelessly outclassed, and the entire duel had just been the vision of Motonari toying with her as he forced her back into a corner.

She watched as the Warlord's eyes peer at her from underneath his grassy hair, indiscernible, and in a split second he had lunged forward. The Auroran tried to keep her lips from quivering and clenched her eyes shut, and then slowly opened them when she felt her sword budge in her hands accompanied by a gurgle. Every word she tried to voice died in her throat when she realized what had happened.

"Sometimes," Motonari leaned in as he whispered, impaling himself deeper into her blade with another sickening sound. She could feel his strangled breath against her ear and hear the blood building up in his throat. "War doesn't give you a choice."

He then staggered back, forcing her to relinquish her grip on the hilt of her blade, and smiled as a thin line of blood began to leak out of the corner of his mouth. She tried to apologize and reach out to him, only for his body to crumple into the shadow of the pillar, out of her sight. Kazumi stayed deathly still even as the scene changed again, jade and red marble and ghostly flames and any signs of a murderous duel fading away into the image of a massive doorway.

The intricate gold interweaving against the black reminded gave her a vague sense of familiarity and more than enough foreboding to tell her to turn away. But by this point Kazumi couldn't bring herself to even feel apprehensive, and she forlornly grabbed the gilded handle of the door and pushed it open. The figures she saw made her breath hitch in her throat.

Nobunaga; the man who nearly electrocuted her brother to death and brought half the region under his iron grip, the man she had sworn to bring justice to.

And Tadashi; swinging his sword at him with the ferocity of a cornered beast, even though he clearly had the upper hand in their duel.

Nobunaga had been pushed down against the staircase leading up to his throne. His eyes shifted in her direction when he heard the doors creak open, and she noted with no small amount of nausea that a smirk had formed on the man's face at the sight of her, even as Tadashi's slashes threatened to literally cut through his blocks.

And then she heard the snap.

The obsidian shards of what had once been Nobunaga's blade clattered down the steps and onto the equally black floor below, leaving the Warlord defenseless. Tadashi winded his arm back to deliver the final blow, and Kazumi screamed out for him to stop, legs shooting her across the vast throne room as fast as they possibly could - it wasn't fast enough. Tadashi slashed down, and with one flick of his wrist Ransei had been united. Kazumi skidded to a halt as the reddened steel dropped back to Tadashi's side, staring up at his caped back in disbelief. A second of Tadashi silently staring at the body below passed before the Auroran raised his head.

"It's done," her brother said absently, kicking aside the corpse as he climbed the stairs to Dragnor's throne. "Ransei is just one step away from being united."

"Tadashi!" the girl shouted out in disbelief as he took a seat on the black marble, and wincing as he buried the tip of his sword into the stone platform the throne was built into. "You just-"

"Did what was necessary for the sake of Ransei," Tadashi finished with a solemn nod. "Just as this is."

She took a step back when his silvery gaze landed on her, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Tadashi, I don't know what-" he stood with all the authority the ruler of Ransei would have, gazing down on her impassively.

"Ransei needs but _one_ head," her twin thundered. "And I am sick of being nothing more than your shadow!"

"Tadashi, _please,_ I didn't-" the Auroran rose and tore his blade out of its impromptu sheath with enough force that Kazumi heard the marble crack in protest.

"Yes _you,_ " he spat. "And you brought this upon yourself!" Tadashi lowered his sword at her, silvery eyes glassy. "Rayquaza, attack!"

She watched on in horror as the roof above gave way to a hail of black rubble in the face of the Legendary Pokémon crashing through it, the Dragon's fangs and eyes bared solely on her. Kazumi's head whipped back to Tadashi in desperation, silently pleading for him to stop, and the only response she got was an enraged glare as he returned to his throne. Her knees finally gave out at that, slamming into the stone below, and the girl clutched her head in an attempt to shut out both the screaming around her and in her mind.

"STOP! PLEASE!" she finally yelled, clenching her eyes shut and falling down on her side as the past few hours flashed in front of her mind's eye in a macabre montage. Curling up tighter against herself only made the mental barrage worse. The Auroran summoned up whatever air was left in her lungs and dug her nails into her scalp. "STOP!"

And then there was silence. Blissful, beautiful, enrapturing silence when the screaming finally ended. Kazumi didn't dare venture to open her eyes out of fear of what might be waiting for her, preferring to pretend that she was still in Cragspur, having never set foot in this Zekrom-forsaken kingdom, and that this was all just some hyper-realistic nightmare that was the result of eating some bad Magikarp.

"How the mighty have fallen."

And with that, she was dragged back into the harsh reality of where she was. Kazumi cracked a sapphire orb open to see Kotaro towering over her, the same smirk she had seen when he was trying to murder Shingen spread across his grey, tattooed face. She pushed herself off the hard floorboards and away from the Yakshan, who just looked even more amused at her. It was when she hit the wall that Kazumi finally forced herself to stand against it, and she suddenly remembered the dagger tucked away in her sash.

"Stay back!" she commanded through a shaky voice, feeling indebted to Shingen as she brandished the steel in the Warlord's direction. That got a snort out of Kotaro and the Pokémon lurking behind him, and Kazumi realized how silly she must have looked to him.

"Please, girl," the ninja crossed his arms. "You're not worth the effort in killing - no, you're more useful alive right now. And you won't be the one to unify Ransei, either."

Her sense of panic refused to abate at the Yakshan taking a step away from her.

"But thanks to you, I know who will." Zoroark's head snapped to the nearby door, and Kotaro followed for a moment before his paralyzing stare returned to her. "Until next time. Zoroark."

Warlord and Pokémon vanished into a blur, but it was only when the door was battered down with an Iron Tail a minute or so later that she let go of the breath that she had been holding in, dropping the dagger and slumping back down to the floor. Hanbei was the first into the room, followed by Kanbei and a dozen other warriors pouring in. She only vaguely registered the tactician running over to her, too relieved at seeing his face to think of anything else.

"Hanbei," she said weakly, cutting off his barrage of questions, apologies, and orders to the nearby warriors.

"My lady?" he replied, frantically wrapping an arm under hers and helping her stand back up. She tried to hold back her tears.

"We're leaving," Kazumi ordered through shaky breaths, staggering across the room with his help. Hanbei nodded in understanding, and that one gesture meant more than the world to her at that moment.

_"I'm never setting foot back in this kingdom if it's the last thing I do,"_ Kazumi swore to herself, the past few hours crashing back into her like a wave as they maneuvered back out of the manor. Espeon - back in her weary arms - was kind enough to not complain about being held tighter than usual, and the brunette began to understand why Oichi was so fond of unintentionally squeezing the daylights out of her poor partner when she got nervous. _"Not again. Not ever again. Not... Not after nearly... after I nearly..."_

* * *

_"Died..."_

Tadashi exhaled and let the back of his head rest against the wall - for the umpteenth time since he had woken up, it felt like it was being slammed into the wood. He ran a uneven hand through the silky fur of the Evolution Pokémon in his arms.

_"I almost died then. Died. I-I'm not going to come out of this war in one piece, am I?"_ there was no answer. The Auroran didn't know if he was grateful or not.

Yukimura and Kunoichi had already been discharged, and Ginchiyo refused stay put in her cot against the advice of Terrera's local doctor - and even with Oichi and Naoshige paying frequent visits, Tadashi found he had too much time on his hands to be comfortable with.

And above all else, he could hear himself think. He didn't like what he heard, and he liked having to come to terms with it even less. His own mortality had always lurked on the fringes of his consciousness before, but now it had dragged itself to the forefront of his mind; having to think about what it might do to Kazumi, to Oichi. Or what it wouldn't do. Nevermind that from how weak Zekrom's attack had been - he had no doubt the Deep Black Pokémon could have easily crushed or reduced him to ash in mere seconds - Nobunaga had obviously intended to prolong his death. Or, more accurately, Oichi's.

How would history have remembered him? The whiny little brother of the unifier who just happened to make a single heroic sacrifice when nobody else would - nothing more than an inhuman plot device in the legend of Ransei's unification? Would history have even bothered to remember him at all? Would anyone?

Eevee tenderly pawing at the burns on his forearm was a welcome distraction. Tadashi quietly hissed at the pain, but moved his hand to scratch his partner behind his ear.

"Thanks..." his voice cracked. He tried to sit up as much as he could and took another sip of tepid water from the small cup besides him, choking it down over the stinging in the back of his throat.

_"Now what?"_ the Warlord let out a raspy breath and wiped the cold sweat off his brow. _"I might as well be a vegetable now... I'm no good to anyone cooped up here."_

Eevee scampered off him when he pulled his legs up and tried to stand over the objection of his burns - enough of his strength had returned that he could at least pull that off - and slowly began pacing around the room. His steps played out like a march; he could hear the creak in a particular floorboard before he even stepped on it, and knew to take a step to the left to avoid getting blinded by the musty sunlight filtering into the room. He spun, slowly, and the shift in atmosphere reminded him faintly of when Nobunaga had landed before him. He could practically feel his blood start to boil at the memory; it had been like a sudden cold front had fallen over the entire desert kingdom the moment that man brought Zekrom to a halt.

How was the war going without himself and Ginchiyo at the front? She had been pessimistic about it when he asked - and the Violighter made a point on chiding him about how stupid he was from her own cot, and if he didn't know better he'd actually say she cared - and he wasn't exactly optimistic himself. The lack of news was starting to make him stir crazy as well; _something_ should've reached his ears by now. Naoshige had been evasive when he asked, the Auroran offering up a stuttered excuse about pressing business; either he shared Oichi's affinity for lying or was trying to let his lord know he was under a gag order without actually saying it. Tadashi really didn't want to believe it was the latter, and he found his pace only increasing as he went deeper into his thoughts. His knees buckled slightly with each step, and the rough wool of his tunic scratching against his shoulders felt like sandpaper, but at the end of the day the Warlord still preferred the shallow comfort of some activity to lying down, even if sleep provided the enticing promise of escape from his worries.

"Lord Tadashi!" the voice - melodic to his ears - brought the Auroran out of his increasingly troublesome thoughts. It just managed to wake Eevee up from his nap.

_"Speaking of worries..."_ somehow, the brunette found a smile spreading across his face as he slowly turned around.

"I know, I know," Oichi's features softened a little bit when their eyes met, but she kept her blush-colored lips in a disjointed line until he acquiesced and headed back to his cot in the middle of the musty, depressing room. She followed closely, and soon Tadashi found himself quietly enjoying the tea she had brought, in spite of the climate. He caught her auburn eyes flickering down to the patches of still-raw burns running across his arms as he set the porcelain down, and found the corners of his lips tugging against his cheeks.

"T-Thank you," she muttered quietly, and for a second Tadashi wondered if the girl was embarrassed. "For saving my life."

Tadashi nodded gravely. "I'd do it again if I had to."

"Please don't say that, my Lord," Oichi mumbled as she poured him another glass of the amber liquid. He looked down at his own reflection in the tiny mirror it made; his disheveled hair fell down in undignified strands over his forehead, and between the circles under his eyes and the lines framing his mouth, he looked more like a prisoner than a convalescent. Maybe it wasn't that far off.

They sat in silence for another moment, the only sound in the room being a quiet sip of the mild-tasting tea, before Tadashi swallowed the last of his apprehension with it.

"Why?" she blinked, looked up from her tea, then went back to it.

"I was scared," Oichi said a little more loudly than before.

"No," Tadashi shook his head. "I know," the Warlord didn't hold it against her, either. He was more a coward than her, in his mind. "But why would Nobunaga go through all that effort? What... What was the point of all that?"

Oichi shook her head. He swore he heard a strangled chuckle pass through the twisted smile that crept across her features.

"What's the point of anything that Nobunaga does? Even if he has a method, it wouldn't make any difference to his madness." Tadashi blinked slowly.

"Do you think he's evil?" Oichi's brow furrowed, and her lips parted as she struggled to offer a response. She finally let out a sigh and hung her head.

"Yes," she took a long sip from the porcelain in her grip - the Auroran noticed her hands were starting to tremble.

"My brother was a good man - or, he tried to be one, at least. I remember he would use to carry me on his shoulders when I was little and take me to the top of the mountains for the view. I think he cared," the girl gulped, and Tadashi felt a stab of guilt for bringing up the topic when he saw her lips quiver. "He started to change after father beat mother to death."

Tadashi blinked. Oichi preempted him - not that he could think of anything appropriate to say.

"Brother killed father in a duel later; half the castle was destroyed in the aftermath. Then Chrysalia invaded."

The Warlord just took a quiet sip from the dregs of his cup, feeling a few inches smaller than he was. Oichi's glass was still full.

* * *

_"Make no mistake, Lord Tadashi, Nobunaga is far worse than our father ever was. He was a temperamental man, and acted on impulse more often than not - I think Nobunaga's learned far too well from him."_

Despite having become as much of a fixture of Dragnor castle as the torches lining its walls, standing in its throne room was still an unusual sensation for Mitsuhide. Nobunaga almost never held council there despite clearly lavishing the place; the whole room was made of black marble interlaced with gold, lit only by flame and culminating in the grotesquely large throne on the pedestal in the back. Maybe his aversion to it was to keep even his own generals from becoming too comfortable when he did hold court - it worked, the Nixtormite remarked to himself dryly.

_"How so?"_

Nobunaga himself was seated on the throne in the back, distant and surrounded by his cloaked guards, jaw resting on his fist, and looking altogether mightier and more disinterested than any of the old Shoguns of Cragpsur could even conceive of, let alone try to emulate. He and the rest of the officers were closer to the massive doors that marked the room, and far less at ease than their lord; the conqueror had decided to meet the returning Ieyasu here on what Mitsuhide decided could only be a whim, and he had given up trying to understand any of them long ago.

_"Father... He cared too much. Enough to work himself into a frenzy at the drop of a hat. That was his undoing, I think. But Nobunaga... He doesn't care at all. People, Pokémon, entire Kingdoms - they're all just tools to him."_

Mitsuhide felt his back instinctively straighten when the doors finally creaked open. Whim or not, he did know his lord was never one for ceremony - there was a reason behind this, and he suddenly found himself wishing he hadn't been given the honor of being at the front of the right of the room. Nobunaga's eyes were fixed solely on the Valorans making their way across the hall, but the man could _feel_ Nobunaga's gaze boring into him. The Warlord of Nixtorm tried to keep his eyes on the procession, and feigned interest instantly turned genuine when Ieyasu bowed and then motioned for someone behind him to step forward. His icy gaze could make out a color that was decidedly out of place in the dour atmosphere, even through the drab grey of Ieyasu's warriors; a lively green.

_"Lifeless, impersonal means to be sacrificed for his end."_

He knew Ieyasu had captured someone of relatively high import in the most recent battle with Aurora; the letter the Valoran had sent in advance made that clear. He had also heard of the strategist-turned-Warlord who had done in two years what no man had accomplished in two hundred, by unifying the south - the Amago Remnants even denouncing him as a 'Lord of Deception'. Mitsuhide never would have imagined either would be the battered, almost unassuming man who had just been thrust onto his knees by the butt of Tadakatsu's spear.

_"And if he can't use them, Oichi?"_

The was no grunt or cry of protest when the man's knees hit the stone, no quivering or movement in his rope-bound hands. He just - quite steadily too, and Mitsuhide wondered if he was suicidal - looked up at the obsidian throne towering above him, and unflinchingly met Nobunaga's dark eyes. Nobunaga only stared back, and Mitsuhide found himself sweating more than the Greenleafer, who now had nearly every pair of eyes in the room burning holes into him. The man looked completely unfazed over the whole ordeal, the Nixtormite noted in something between disbelief and nausea, while he was stuck with the grating sound of practically being able to hear Nobunaga's lips curl upwards as the staring contest reached its silent crescendo. The Warlord of Dragnor finally broke the suffocating silence by standing; it was when he started descending the steps to his throne, small smirk dissipating, that Mitsuhide came to the horrific realization as to why his lord had decided to hold court.

He was going to make a show out of this.

_"He will, one way or another."_

"Mitsuhide," for the first time in his life, the man in question felt like throwing up at simply hearing his own name. He tried not to show it as the collective gaze of the room shifted to him; already erect back and aching shoulders going even more rigid - the next two words out of Nobunaga's mouth would destroy what little composure he had managed to build.

"Kill him."

Mitsuhide felt the cold beads of sweat that had slowly been trickling down the nape of his neck suddenly heat up. He couldn't even bring himself to gulp, and his mouth suddenly felt dry the moment he opened it to protest. Motonari, Mitsuhide noted with even more horror, only closed his eyes in something like resignation - and for the fraction of a second the Nixtormite swore he saw the man's lips inch _upwards_ under the cover of the bloody bruise swelling across half his face - but his mien otherwise remained completely expressionless. It only gave him the appearance of wearing a death mask, Mitsuhide thought grimly.

"My lord," he finally spoke up, nearly wincing out how weak he sounded. His grip around the hilt of his blade grew a little tighter; he had cut down foes before when absolutely necessary, but he wasn't an executioner. "Surely he would be more useful a-"

Nobunaga's eyes narrowed. Mitsuhide's words died in his throat, and he suddenly realized his legs were starting to feel shaky.

"The creature you see before you is not a man, but an atrophying relic of a bygone era," Mitsuhide was now starting envy how utterly impervious their prisoner looked to everything going on around him. "An era he orchestrated and did not even have the courage to see through to the end. Ransei will not know peace as long as this ghost continues to plague it."

Somehow, the man in blue found the presence of mind to continue to object.

"My lord, wouldn't throwing him in a cell be enough then? The information he has could be vit-" the sound of Nobunaga stepping off the pedestal and onto the coal-colored stone below was drowned out by the pounding in Mitsuhide's chest.

"Mitsuhide," the taller man's voice was as level as his gaze. But the edge of his lips had twitched upwards - the sudden realization that Motonari wasn't the true target of this farce cut into him deeper than any knife could. "If you so desire to extract information from him yourself, then I remand this serperior into your custody."

Nobunaga turned on his heel and strode to the staircase spiraling behind his throne - the one that led up into the tower the Dragnovian was seemingly so fond of, perched high above the rest of Dragnor's castle and Ransei itself. The room waited a minute after his figure had been absorbed by the shadows to let out a collective breath. Mitsuhide looked back over to the prisoner - _his_ prisoner, he thought bitterly, of whom Nobunaga would undoubtedly expect him to get something of use out of - to see Tadakatsu reach underneath his arm and hoist him back up with a single hand.

"Thank you," he heard Motonari reply emotionlessly as he steadied his footing. Whether he was trying to be sarcastic and was just too shaken to convey it properly or was too bitter to bother to try sounding polite, he didn't know or particularly care - Mitsuhide just wanted to leave this legendforsaken place as soon as possible. The Greenleafer turned when he heard Mitsuhide's near-frantic footsteps - the latter at least tried to put enough determination into his stride to make it look like his tail wasn't between his legs - and blinked with a little more emotion than he had shown when Nobunaga had ordered his execution. The black splotch against a deathly pale complexion only furthered the impression of a mask in Mitsuhide's mind's eye.

"Thank you," the strategist said again when the Nixtormite came to a stop, this time with more sincerity. Mitsuhide blinked and spared a quick glance towards the throne, then allowed his amethyst eyes to flicker back to his prisoner.

"I didn't do it for your sake..." he replied quietly, not sounding entirely convinced himself. Motonari nodded with more understanding than Mitsuhide expected, and then craned his head over towards the congregating Valorans.

"Ieyasu," he said quietly. The Warlord of Nixtorm followed his gaze to see the man in question in a quietly animated and onesided conversation with a clearly indignant Ina. "He's a good man."

Mitsuhide didn't respond, and Motonari didn't bother to turn around.

"He has a kingdom, a family and retainers to look after - I can understand why he would bite his tongue." The Nixtormite's grip around his sword tightened at the prisoner's level and almost colorless voice.

"As do you, and I assume it would be in your best interest comply," the Greenleafer turned around and blinked with the most emotion Mitsuhide had seen yet.

"Ah, yes, I suppose it would be," he said with a small smile. He then lifted up a hand; Mitsuhide raised an eyebrow when he saw that he had slithered out of the ropes binding his wrists and was now loosely dangling them from his forefinger. "Well, I'm afraid I'm at the disadvantage of being in an unfamiliar surrounding."

The man's eyes just narrowed at Motonari's newfound outgoingness, and he made a point of jerking the hilt of his still-sheathed blade in direction of the exit. Motonari's face dropped slightly and he gave a short nod, and Mitsuhide followed as they silently weaved their way out of the room. The Warlord of Nixtorm put a hand to his temple to try to stop the pounding in his head.

* * *

Nobunaga felt a slight smirk as Hydreigon came to a stop at the base of the tower, black as the skies it reached into; everything was moving perfectly into place.

Oichi surviving was irrelevant, the Dragnovian thought as he climbed off the Brutal Pokémon's back; she had accomplished the goal he set for her far beyond his expectations. He spared a glance back over his shoulder; Dragnor's castle, the city below, the peaks in the background; they all looked so distant under the shadow of the highest point in Ransei. His dark eyes then drifted up to the equally dark tower above; perched atop the tallest mountain in Dragnor and protected by its castle - a sacred spot, where only the Warlord of Dragnor was allowed to set foot. And not even they were able to set foot inside the tower. Not that he cared for such legends; but the gilded door in front of him had proven to be a much more imposing obstacle to less reverent and more opportunistic lords, his father included.

But he had progressed beyond their pettiness; Ransei had already been unified by his hand, his design.

The light snow that had accumulated on the ground - winter was beginning its descent, he noted absently - crunched underneath his boots as he strode up to the doors that had kept the Infinite Tower, a name attributed from the few who survived their attempts to fly to the top, shrouded in mystery for so long. Nobunaga's eyes looked over the doors; no panels, no keyhole, no knob or handle; nothing. He ignored the grunt from Hydreigon and ran his hand over the smooth and frigid metal for any irregularities. Still nothing; it might as well have been a part of the wall that someone had decided to plate with gold on a fancy. It was when the Warlord took another glance out of the corner of his eye to contemplate the odds of Hydreigon surpassing prior generations of Pokémon and actually being able to blast the doors open that he felt them shift.

A second later they inched open of their own accord, and the two were left staring into a vast blackness that had evidently been waiting for them. Nobunaga looked down at Hydriegon; the Pokémon blinked back, and the conqueror set a foot into the emptiness. It was near impossible to tell how much time had passed in their climb - the only light being what the moon managed to sneak in through the small windows lining every couple of steps of the spiraling tower, like an array of ghostly torches - and the only sounds that broke the maddening monotony of his footstep was a series of low growls Hydreigon finally verbalized.

"It would be unprudent to come to rely on any one asset too extensively," Nobunaga let his eyes wonder to the expanse beyond the windows, entertaining the thought for the shadow of a moment that it would have been much easier to simply bring Zekrom and rocket up to the top than climb the seemingly endless staircase - the others who had tried that before did not have the colossus at their back, after all. "And this is yet another test of our determination, of our strength - and shunning Zekrom's would be the best way of demonstrating it."

Hydreigon growled out something about hypocrisy, and Nobunaga stayed silent.

Another eternity later - an eternity filled with increasingly thin air and the sensation of someone pressing down on his skull - and the stairs finally came to an end.

Stepping out onto the platform they opened up to would have been breathtaking or terrifying for most; the clouds, the stars, the whole heavens themselves seemed within a grasp, with the entirety of Ransei illuminated in its background. Not even the heights of Dragnor itself could have competed with the view. But all Nobunaga could feel, for the first time since he had first held the Dark Stone, was excitement. And it wasn't at what he saw below or above.

The atmosphere had thickened and the pressure was gone and replaced with a new one entirely: similar to the one he had felt when Zekrom had emerged from its metamorphic shell, but significantly more imposing. Even his agnosticism towards the Legendary Pokémon had never led to a disbelief in their strength - and this one was powerful enough to make even him square his shoulders as he marched up to the dais in the center of the tower. Hydreigon floated at a respectable distance behind him.

Nobunaga raised his head, feeling the winds tugging at him. He remained unmoved; staring up at the skies above, watching as they swirled around him from his place at the highest point in the world. An indistinguishable, empty, black void above that no one could really quite discern from below; a little bit higher, and he would be in it, looking back down on the speck that was now Ransei.

The Warlord felt a small smirk cross his face at the thought.

_"How trite."_

He inhaled; not ether, but air. And he could feel _it_ drawing closer - this was a place where mortals were not meant to tread.

_"Why climb into the heavens... When one can simply drag them down to earth?"_

Nobunaga opened his mouth to speak, and ignored the dryness in it.

"Has Nobunaga not proven the extent of his ambition?"

His response was an almighty roar from the heavens, and gold streak darting across the gleaming void of a sky.

The smirk grew.


	38. Chapter 38

The first time Kazumi had been able to take a good look at Cragspur's castle, she had been half-asleep and running on adrenaline.

Having a clear view of the castle, illuminated against the light of the full moon - along with the rest of the mountain kingdom from the army's perch atop one of the roads leading alongside the face of the southern formation - the Auroran suddenly gained a new appreciation as to just how far they had come.

"You could fit all of Aurora's castle into the inner ward..." Hanbei muttered, having taken advantage of the short break in their march to join her in sitting at the edge of the rock. Kanbei stayed a respectful distance back, something his counterpart had teased him about before coming over to join her, but Kazumi got the impression even the normally reserved Ignite was still in awe at the sheer scope of the bastion.

"Yeah," Kazumi sighed out, finding even the smallest subtleties in the dull-looking countryside a relief. Her sapphire orbs glanced down to her hands, clutching the hem of her skirt in a desperate attempt to keep them from shaking. Memories of Yaksha and Kotaro and the mansion flashed across her vision, and the shaky breath she took did nothing to stop her shoulders from trembling at the memories of trying to reason with the ghostly Tadashi. At least once they concluded their mercifully short business here they would be able to return to the desert kingdom.

"Kazumi?" hearing her name - and she found herself liking hearing Hanbei in particular say it - shook the Warlord out of her doldrums. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," as much as she could be, anyways. Kazumi took another breath.

"I just..." more memories of Yaksha assailed her for a brief second, and she found herself turning to meet Hanbei's purple irises. "I... Hanbei," another memory, this time of Hanbei rushing in moments after Kotaro left. Of the relief she felt at seeing his face - the tactician just blinked in apprehension, and the Auroran had little doubt that her very obvious distress was helping. "Listen; I just... I want..."

Kazumi felt her hands ball into fists as the back of her throat started to go dry. The girl's stomach was doing summersaults and she had become painfully aware of all the nearby warriors, even if they were out of earshot and too busy to notice them.

"Is something wrong, milady?" Hanbei finally said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

_"Yes,"_ Kazumi hissed inwardly - if she didn't know better, she would have said she caught a small smirk on Kanbei's face out of the corner of her eye. _"The one time I need you to understand you have to be completely oblivious, you dolt."_

"No..." She cursed herself as the words finally died in her throat, and she took no consolation in the fact that Hanbei was clearly unconvinced. For once Kazumi wished she had her brother's brashness; his usually infuriating ability to toss caution to the wind and charge headfirst into any situation. "Nevermind... It's not important." the Auroran followed that with a halfhearted nod. "I'll tell you after we get back to Terrera."

The brunette choked down her regret along with some bile and forced herself to stand, brushing off some imaginary dust on her skirt. The tactician nodded, allowed his frown to spread as she turned back to the panoply of resting warriors behind them, and then followed, looking forward to the opportunity to sleep in Cragspur for the few hours of nighttime they had left, and craning his mind to come up with a way to cheer her up in the morning.

* * *

"Masamune," the Warlord in question was too excited to even feel the usual prick of irritation at the mercenary's complete lack of respect. Despite that, he slowly opened his good eye and calmly pushed himself upright from the tree he was so fond of napping against, putting on the best show of disinterested self-restraint he could. It didn't fool Magoichi in the slightest, and he made a point of smoothing out the letter in his hand just to see if the delay would annoy his employer. It worked. "Kojuro's letter; the Aurorans are on the march back to Terrera."

Masamune could barely control the grin that broke out across his face, practically vaulting across the courtyard towards his now-awake Braviary within a second of the sentence. The Avian flung himself over his partner's back, the Valiant Pokémon not so much as blinking at the sudden impact, and turned his gaze back to Magoichi as he settled into the saddle.

"Magoichi," the Avian said with the most genuine grin the man had ever seen on him. "Years from now you'll remember this day as the day Ransei's unification _really_ began."

Masamune tapped his heels against his partner's sides - with enough restraint to at least not look giddy - and the Pokémon launched off into the skies with an almighty beat of the wings. Magoichi coughed and lowered his arms as the dust finally cleared, looking up at the skies his lord has disappeared into. The mercenary finally let out a tired sigh, shot an envious look at the Grovyle resting peacefully across the yard, and then shook his head.

"Better send someone after him..." Magoichi muttered as he turned back to the castle, denying himself the simple pleasure of pinching the bridge of his nose. "Some supplies, too - might have to wait them out."

* * *

"No; you three need to agree upon a plan of attack in advance. Better to have one you have misgivings about than none at all; a lack of cohesion will doom any army."

Oichi watched on silently as Naoshige lectured the three boys beneath him as to why they lost, and patiently answered questions barbed enough that they would have gotten Tadashi slapped, if his stories about Dosetsu's stringent tutelage were true. Mitsunari, Kiyomasa and Masanori clearly weren't happy about losing - or having been told to stay behind in Chrysalia and then Terrera by Hanbei, as questioning had revealed (Oichi had grown a quiet smile at the less the subtle gesture of kindness) - but they tried to make the best of it by continuing to train day in and out. Yukimura had graciously agreed to be their dummy for today - and between Shingen's training and Charmeleon knowing supereffective moves against all three of its opponents, the Terreran was a step up from herself - and so Oichi had decided to try her hand at arranging a flower crown for Jigglypuff while the mid-morning aged into noon.

"Just like Lord Yukimura not to know how to go easy..." the ninja above her remarked lazily, gazing down at the training field from her perch in the tree Oichi had taken shelter under.

"Reminds me of someone else I know," the Auroran replied with a small smile, putting down the needle pinched between her fingers as she decided she had stabbed enough of Terrera's scarce flora for one day. Oichi didn't know whether the other girl had already been in the tree when she sat down under it, but she found Kunoichi a surprisingly good conversationalist - and, for that matter, one of the few people in Terrera who talked to her like nothing had happened. The Auroran remembered the ninja blowing a razz berry when she thanked her for it, followed by a nonchalant 'No prob'; unbecoming of her given the girl's profession (no, unbecoming of any profession, Oichi corrected herself dryly), but she had got the vague idea Shingen's spymaster could emphasize from the reply.

"How is your Lord? Can't be worse off than that sourpuss," Oichi suppressed the urge to snicker - a welcome distraction from Kunoichi's subtle accenting of 'lord' - and was grateful said Warlord was nowhere near in sight.

"Lord Tadashi keeps telling me he's fine, but it's hard to take him seriously when he flinches as he says it," the girl in pink replied, smile a little stronger. Even if Tadashi's spirits had been dampened, his resolve was unshakeable.

"I hope he gets better soon; all that lying around can't be healthy," Oichi just nodded in return, not feeling the need to mention Tadashi had taken to pacing around the infirmary like a monomaniac whenever he thought she or Naoshige weren't nearby.

"Anyways," Kunoichi dropped down from the brunch above her, landing as gracefully as the Sneasel besides her, sandy eyes set firmly on the Terreran even as she addressed the other junior warlord. "I'm gonna bug Lord Yukimura. Good luck!"

Oichi spent a moment to wonder what she had aimed the last statement at - her lord, perhaps? - until the Auroran looked back towards the battlefield and saw the trio of kids approaching her spot, Naoshige seemingly spent.

"Hello, you three," she put on a smile for the boys as they came to a stop in front of her. Mitsunari returned it, but was cut off by Masanori.

"Hey," the the stumpy one of the group crossed his arms and leaned in. "So, which one of us did you think was right?"

Kiyomasa's head jerked over to him, a scowl breaking across the boy's previously placid face. "Hey, we agreed we were all in the wro-"

"Clearly I was," Mitsunari said with the type of authority that could only stem from an ego - one about as big as his headdress, Kiyomasa muttered to himself - and snapping his fan into his open palm for emphasis. "I factored in Charmeleon's weakness to Ground Types whereas you agreed it would be better to mob it-"

"From a distance," Kiyomasa countered. "And away from the Brick Breaks."

"But not the Dragon Rages," Masanori muttered bitterly, looking down at the Sandile in his arms. The one in red pinched his nose.

"If you had just used Sand Attack like I said-"

"I think," Oichi finally said, Mitsunari blinking self-consciously when he remembered she was still in front of them. "That Naoshige was right."

She could feel the collective guilt from the three in the silence that followed, Masanori breaking it as he stepped forward to eye her with more curiosity than she felt comfortable with.

"Hey, Miss Oichi? What everyone's saying isn't true, is it?"

Something in her gut screamed at her to come up with an excuse and leave - and she caught something mirroring the feeling spreading across Mitsunari's face - but Oichi couldn't help her curiosity. That had always been her undoing, she noted belatedly.

"What do you mean?" Masanori blinked innocently.

"That you're a spy an-" he didn't get a chance to finish; in the blink of an eye Mitsunari flicked his fan into Masanori's forehead. But it was too late, and Oichi knew she should have just listened to her gut.

"N-No, I would never..." the girl donned a smile for their sakes - not that it could hide the mist in her eyes - and forced herself to stand on shaky knees. Mitsunari offered an apologetic bow, and Oichi muttered something low enough in return that even she didn't understand it. None of the trio could bring themselves to watch as she headed back towards the castle, swallowing an impending sniffle - it was only hearing the announcement of the main army's approach in the distance that veered her away from the infirmary and towards the kitchen. At least she could find something to distract herself there.

* * *

He appreciated Oichi's company. He really did. It had been the biggest source of comfort to him over the past few days, even more than his Eevee.

Despite that, the prospect of seeing his sister again exited Tadashi in a way that none of Oichi's visits had. Not just for being able to be brought up to speed about the war, not for the chance of getting a clearer picture of the situation of Ransei, or even in hearing how everyone else had been doing.

He just wanted to see her again.

When Naoshige had brought the news of her return, the Auroran felt a torrent of emotions wash over them - he had hidden them long enough to dismiss the man before confronting them. Relief at hearing she was safe, excitement at the thought of being able to see her face again - he had never truly appreciated how much of a presence she had until it was torn away from him - disappointment and anger that she would have to see him like this.

And above all else, guilt. Guilt at having let this come to pass, guilt at not being able to support her, and guilt at having tried to push her away; of his petty jealousy that had very nearly cost them Aurora, how he had been so self-absorbed to try to force himself out of her shadow. Memories of their childhood flashed in front of his eyes as the minutes dragged on; of fears of never finding her again during games of hide and seek and old taunts about them completing each other's sentences (a habit he had worked hard to break). Of the ever-present specter that they would always support each other.

The door to the infirmary creaked open, smashing Tadashi's thoughts. Stormy eyes reflected in the icy, serene pools across the room, neither twin being able to bring themselves to react for a minute. Kazumi finally felt a shaky smile at seeing her brother conscious again - covered in bandages and lying in a sick bed, but still able to look back at her all the same.

"Tadashi..." her voice nearly cracked. The other Warlord smiled back.

"Kazumi," he held her gaze for a few minutes, struggling not to tear up at the sight of her. He looked down when Eevee leapt out of his arms and ran over to her - or, rather over to the Pokémon peering at him from behind her legs. No, he realized with a blink; the _Espeon_ behind her legs. He could feel the breath leave his chest at the sight - Kazumi picked up on it and left behind the two Pokémon and made her way to his side.

"I'm glad you're safe," Kazumi didn't care if it was cliché; she just wanted to say it to him.

"I've been better," Tadashi replied wryly, though it sounded hollow even to him. The Warlord cleared his throat and let his curiosity take over. "How have things gone your end? Managed well enough without me?"

"Good," the girl replied hesitantly, mind racing through potential wordings. "Things are working out like we planned. We've taken Cragspur and Yaksha, and we'll be moving on Viperia in a few days," she didn't feel the need to bring up anything more about Yaksha. "They haven't really tried to stop us, either."

Tadashi nodded quietly, but Kazumi caught his face darkening. She let out the rest of her apprehensions with a heavy sigh; the longer she prolonged this, the worse the reaction would be.

"We've also lost Motonari," that forlorn aside tore the Warlord out of his silent reflections on how far Kazumi had gotten: his head snapped up, his gaze meeting hers again. She nearly flinched at the shock in it.

"He... He's?"

"No," Kazumi replied with a shake of the head, desperately hoping she could believe her own words. "We're not certain. He led some troops into Avia as a decoy and stayed behind to cover the retreat."

Tadashi nodded grimly, entertaining the unhealthy idea of what he would have been able to do had he not been cooped up in Terrera. Silvery orbs then turned away from their counterparts to the two Pokémon on the other side of the room, absentmindedly conversing. To the Eevee and _Espeon_ \- the Pokémon that had helped his sister take the rest of central Ransei, just as they planned. And she had executed it near-flawlessly so far.

"Tadashi?" Kazumi placed her hand on his when she caught him quietly gulp, eyes quivering.

_"So this is it,"_ he thought, eyes going down to the back of his sister's hand and then up to meet the concern in hers. _"I'm never getting out of this cot."_

Tadashi felt his breath hitch when Kazumi shifted and wrapped her arms around him, doing her best to avoid pressing too hard.

"You can cry if you want to, brother," she whispered. "It's just us."

Something inside the brunette snapped at hearing that.

_"Useless..."_ Tadashi buried his face in the crook of her shoulder and returned the hug, trying desperately to hide the sight of the hot tears starting to trail down his face. Whether to keep her from seeing them or having to watch her reaction, he didn't know. Kazumi just rubbed his back as the oppressive silence continued. _"All I can do now... Is to help sister unify Ransei... And try not to get left behind."_

They stayed there, together and in silence, long after his breathing had steadied.

* * *

Valora's captivity hadn't been glamorous by any stretch; Motonari had regained consciousness suspended upside down from Tadakatsu's shoulder like some Pokémon he had just hunted down for dinner, and even after having been placed upright still had to contend with the awkward situation of being led about by the arms like a lost child (and, to further rub salt in the wound, the Valoran warriors suddenly adopting hushed tones whenever he was nearby, like parents talking about something they didn't want to burden their progeny with).

In a cruel sense, however, the Greenleafer felt Ieyasu's coddling - for lack of a better word - was a more humane captivity than the obsolescence Mitsuhide granted him.

"This will be your room," Mitsuhide had said in same the inscrutable voice he had used the few other times he had spoken during their journey. To Motonari it sounded like a man desperately trying to ignore the fact that his newfound prisoner even existed - just another flake of snow on his conscious, unique but all-the-same.

The captive Warlord gave a small nod, trying to suppress the near-perpetual shiver threatening to overtake him at the climate. That Mitsuhide had stripped him of almost all his possessions; coat, gloves, hat, arrows, the book he had brought for the march - even his bag of tea leaves - certainly didn't help. He could understand confiscating his coat and even the book, but the tea was just cruel. The only things he had been left with were his wedding ring and readers; two very strong reminders of where exactly he was in life as he stepped into his prison cell - one that looked more like a guest room that had just been stripped of all amenities. Certainly better than a dungeon by any rate.

Not a second passed before the door slid shut behind the Greenleafer, and as he listened to Mitsuhide's light steps slowly fade away, his complete and utter isolation final crashed down on him. The first thing his mind drifted to as he went over to the one object in the otherwise empty room - a cot - was how his sons were faring. Were they still in Illusio? How well were they managing the army in his absence? Ekei and Serperior were with them, so too much couldn't go wrong. Motonari blinked as his partner flashed through his mind once again, and the oppressive loneliness only grew worse. In the thirty five years he had fought alongside the Pokémon - alongside his best friend - he had never once woken up without being able to feel its presence nearby, even faintly. The Grass Type's absence had left a bigger echo in its wake than the Pokémon would have probably been able to appreciate. Travelling the past few days had been like stumbling through the dark; his eyesight and hearing had deteriorated enough that the Warlord had wondered if Tadakatsu had done more damage than he originally thought, until he realized that he had simply lost the insight his link provided. Was Serperior suffering the same as he was? For that matter, with him gone, how patient would it be w-

"Hello!" Motonari managed to hold in any undignified outbursts at the voice - which was far too close for him to be comfortable even under normal circumstances - but still put a fair amount of distance between himself and the intruder with a less-than graceful leap. The Greenleafer had already spun himself around mid-jump, arms raised in a defensive stance to try to block whatever blow he might have found coming his way-

Only to find himself face to face with a little girl.

"I'm Gracia," the redhead said blithely, the innocent and clearly entertained smile that had spread across her face making the Warlord feel all the more silly. "What's your name?"

Motonari's immediate response was to allow himself to blink in disbelief and wonder how much time had passed since he had been put in the room. The sight of a Gothorita peeking out at him from behind Gracia's small frame put that disturbing line of thought to rest.

"My name is Motonari Mori," the man replied in his clipped Greenleaf accent, dropping his arms and savoring the brief feeling of humiliation that washed over him. The girl below nodded, and was about to say something before the Pokémon next to her tugged on the back of her mini-cape. The same feeling of awkwardness from days prior began to dawn on him again as the Psychic Type carried out its non-verbal conversation with the redhead, the only signs that it was even going on being their eye contact and Gracia's nod. The break in their conversation ended seemingly as soon as it began, and the girl turned back up to the Greenleafer looming above.

"Maria says you look funny, Mr. Mori," came the statement, green orbs peering over the man with a little more curiosity than before. Motonari just smiled.

"Do I?" Gracia blinked and made eye contact with him, seemingly oblivious to her partner's more guarded posturing.

"I haven't met anyone with green hair before," the girl replied innocently.

"Well, I don't believe I've met anyone with red hair, either," Motonari said, placid smile growing a hair wider. Gracia's cheeks flushed, and her gaze flitted down to the floorboards. The Greenleafer just ignored the glare from the Gothorita behind her.

"Papa says I look a lot like Mama..." Motonari felt his smile drop at the quiet remark, and realized only a second into the uncomfortable silence that his thumb had gone to the gold on his finger. To make matters worse, the Warlord began to develop an uncomfortable inkling in the back of his mind.

"Who is your father?" he tried to mask whatever hesitation slipped into his voice. Gracia's head shot up, and while she was clearly excited about being able to talk about her father to someone who might not have known who he was, Motonari could make out something resembling desperation slip across her face at the mention of him.

"He's the Warlord!" she exclaimed happily, titling her head as the same broad smile broke out across her face. All the while Motonari tried to keep himself from having a panic attack and smile like the comment was reassuring. "He's really brave! He always has to go out to fight the bad guys, but Papa's also really nice and-"

"I'm terribly sorry, Gracia," the Greenleafer finally managed to say, taking a little bit of comfort in having been able to keep his voice level. "But I don't think he would appreciate you talking to me."

Gracia just blinked in the same innocent manner as before - she fortunately seemed oblivious to the fact that all the blood had drained out of his features, leaving him looking as grim as Reshiram. "Why not?"

"Well, I'm afraid I'm his prisoner right now," Motonari spared a short second to ponder his ability to smile at that. The girl took a step back, but still held his gaze.

"But... Papa wouldn't do that unless you had done something wrong..." some of the desperation Motonari had caught on her face before slipped into her voice, and the Warlord felt his throat go dry underneath a thin smile.

_"Reshiram, bless her innocent soul..."_ part of him immediately regretted invocation of the Legendary Pokémon, but he paid it no heed.

"It wasn't his choice, fortunately," Motonari said serenely enough that it seemed to provide the girl below with some measure of calm. "Were it not for your father's intervention, I'm afraid a much worse fate would have befallen me anyhow."

"Oh..." the reply was level, but it was obvious to Motonari it brought Gracia little comfort. The Gothorita next to her - Maria, she had been called? Quite the notion - placed a flimsy-looking hand on the redhead's dainty shoulder and muttered something indecipherable in its name-based tongue. Gracia seemed to ignore it. "Is there anything I can do, Mr. Mori?"

The Psychic Type voiced what was obviously an objection, and the Greenleafer felt obliged to agree with it.

"I'm afraid not; if anything, I feel it would be best for both our sakes if you were to forget about me for now," it was at Gracia's dismayed sigh and stiff nod that a small, conciliatory thought entered his mind.

"Though..." Motonari said with a little more cheer, the girl below looking back up at practically hearing the quiet smile return to his mien. "You wouldn't happen to like tea, would you?"

* * *

It seemed it was her turn to feel uncomfortable now, Kazumi mused. The hours spent with Tadashi still hung heavy over her - and yet, it seemed oddly alleviating, too - but it was the idea of continuing her conversation with Hanbei from before that now had her nerves frayed. Her surroundings weren't very conducive to what she had in mind, either; just the oasis where they had their disastrous picnic at, and an endless background of sand with the late-afternoon sun and the silhouette of a lone Pokémon flying across it. But they were alone, and that mattered more to her than anything else right now.

"Kazumi," that Hanbei still felt comfortable enough, even with the nervousness in his voice, to forgo any titles with her was a small reassurance. The Warlord was also glad he had been the first to say something; she felt silly at having her will begin to erode again after having survived Yaksha. "Is there something wrong? Personally, I mean? I haven't done anything to-"

"No, no, Zekrom no," came her reply, Kazumi feeling even sillier now. Hanbei raised a raven eyebrow and folded his hands behind his head, but the Auroran could tell he was relieved. They walked in silence for a little further, passing the lone palm tree in sight and enjoying the solitude of each other's company before the brunette worked up the gusto to continue. If Viperia and Avia would be half as bad as Yaksha, she wanted him to at least know if something did happen.

"Hanbei..." Kazumi steeled herself, turning around to meet his purple gaze. "We haven't known each other for very long, but it feels like I've known you for years already."

"Kazumi?" Hanbei could feel a blush begin to creep over his features at the sight of the very visible one on her face. The brunette just nodded, wringing one shaky hand with another.

"I like you," the moment those words left her lips, Kazumi felt like a weight had been dropped from her shoulders. Even Terrera's air tasted a little less dusty. "A lot."

If Hanbei's blush got any stronger, it would have been a sunburn. The Auroran doubted she was faring any better, especially now that the tactician had adopted that same goofy smile he would get whenever he was happy.

"Kazumi, I feel the..." Hanbei blinked, and the smile vanished as his face suddenly darkened. Her heart skipped a beat, hopes and confidence starting to shatter, only to turn into curiosity when Hanbei took a step to the side, gaze still set towards the horizon.

"Kazumi," hearing him still call her by her first name softened the surge of frustration as she followed his gaze. The Warlord felt her teeth grind at the sight of the fliers in the distance, having no doubt in her mind where they had come from.

_"How dare he interrupt-"_

"Maybe we should head back to the castle," Hanbei said with palpable annoyance ad a little bit of fear, placing a hand on her shoulder. Kazumi almost nodded; they had both left their Pokémon back in Terrera and she doubted Masamune's intentions were friendly, but the silhouettes were growing bigger - fast. Terrera was too far away, and she doubted there was anyone who could help within earshot. The realization that she wasn't going to get out of this slowly crushed whatever elation she had left, but the Auroran was resolved to not show her back to the Avian either. She was the Warlord of Aurora, and she would act with all the dignity it demanded - she would not run from her battles.

"No," Kazumi felt her throat go dry, and the Ignite's head snapped back to her. "Go get help. I'll buy you as much time as I can."

"What!? No, I'll try to hold-"

"Hanbei," the Warlord said, making her voice as firm as she could. It wasn't very good, but Hanbei swallowed his question and nodded regardless. She heard the sand crunch underneath his sandals as he took a half-step back, and didn't need to turn around to know he was forcing back tears.

"J-Just promise me we will meet again."

"We will."

_"One way or another,"_ she thought solemnly. Kazumi couldn't bring herself to look back as Hanbei finally tore his gaze away and began his frantic race back to Terrera; all she could do was continue staring firmly ahead as the sounds of his footsteps grew fainter and the cacophony of flapping became deafening. The brunette didn't so much as blink as the fliers landed around her; sending her ponytail and plumes of sand into the breeze with a few last flaps. Kazumi could only focus on returning Masamune's gaze.

"Lady Kazumi," Masamune threw himself off his Braviary, taking off his helmet and giving her a mockingly low bow. The Auroran's eyes narrowed into slits as she caught the Warlord's smirk underneath his mop of brown hair. "I suppose you thought you were clever in leaving Cragspur so lightly defended."

"Lord Masamune," it took all of Kazumi's self-control to not growl. He had effortlessly seen through both their ploys, the reinforcements that showed up in Viperia had foiled what would have been a victory, and now he was here and she was alone. She had badly underestimated Masamune, and now she was paying for it - nevermind that it had put Hanbei in danger, too. "And I suppose you think you'll need a captive just to stand a chance against us?"

Masamune let out a derisive snort as he donned his helmet again. "It's a shame that tongue of yours isn't a weapon - you could actually stand a chance against Nobunaga."

"So your complete lack of wit is why you're busy licking his boots?" Kazumi took no small amount of satisfaction in seeing she had clearly struck a nerve; just a bit of restitution for him having come now of all times. But whatever anger she had riled up in Masamune quickly fizzled away in the face of another distinctive combination of a smug grin and crossed arms.

"I'm not the one relying on bluster, am I?" she felt her own smirk fade away at the reminder of her predicament, something the Avian seemed all too happy about. "And I can assure you, that _will_ change."

"Now," Masamune's voice dropped to a level that made him sound genuinely intimidating, arms mimicking the shift; hands moving towards the holstered pistols and sheathed sabre he wore so casually. The glare of the Braviary next to him certainly added to the image. "You can either come willingly, or I can knock you out and send one of my men after your friend. Your choice."

For a moment, she felt like pressing him on the last point, but dismissed the thought. Confirming what he probably suspected would only make things worse if he did decide to go after the Ignite. Kazumi let out most of the air in her lungs, followed by her pride with a small nod. She knew the moment she told Hanbei to get help it was futile; the castle was too distant, but it was the only way to allow the tactician to retain some sense of self-respect while getting him out of harm's way. And yet the Warlord put as much of her courtly bearing and dignity into her stride as she could; even if she had cast away her pride, Kazumi would not allow this upstart to break her composure. Masamune's grin returned, lacking most of the edge it had before, and he hoisted himself back onto his partner before looking down at the brunette.

Blue eyes met brown and his smirk grew.

The Warlord in black offered a hand.

Her stomach churned and the Warlord in white took it.

* * *

"Taken?" Tadashi repeated with a shake of his head, lips pulling against the edges of his mouth as he fully processed the quiet statement. The girl in pink could only gulp as his stormy eyes turned up to met hers; the denial in them almost made her nauseous. "Oichi, I don't appreciate jokes like this, even if you mean well."

She couldn't bring herself to respond. The quiet sniffle and downcast glance was the only reply he needed.

"Impossible," the Warlord nearly snarled, gaze shifting to bore holes into the door. Between the bared teeth and white knuckles - and from every appearance it looked as if he was trying to strangle the bedsheets - Oichi felt the desire to scoot back. "She was just here a few hours ago! There's no way an army got by the castle without us knowing!"

"It was a small group of fliers," Oichi replied timidly, like speaking any louder would cause the room to come crashing down around them. "Lady Kazumi went out for a walk with Hanbei. It was only by dumb luck-"

"Dumb... luck..." and with that all the force and spirit in Tadashi's voice seemed to fade away into the ether. It was said like a question, but to Oichi it sounded like the last words of a dying man bitterly trying to cling to life. His shoulders slumped, grip slackened and a stillborn sigh escaped him as silvery orbs slackened into an inscrutable, lifeless stare.

_"Useless."_

He had failed again. Completely and utterly failed - and above all else, failed to save the one person who had done nothing but try to save him. Failed the only family he had left.

_"Useless."_

Tadashi could hear the faint, distant sound of an echoed pounding, as his thoughts kept looping back to Kazumi.

_"Useless."_

The ghosts of past battles began to parade themselves in front of his vision; Terrera, Pugilis, Violight, Greenleaf - of waiting in the cave networks of Ignis for news of Kazumi carrying the day yet again.

_"Useless, useless, useless-"_

The pounding got harsher, louder, echoing everywhere around him like an amassing army. Tadashi could feel something inside of him slowly twisting itself over and over again as the hammering turned into a cacophony. And then it snapped, along with the last threads holding his mouth shut and keeping his arms still. Fingers dug unto his scalp, clutching down hard on the earthy strands as the Auroran heard the scream echo in his head - his scream, loud and twisted enough to have brought down the very walls around him, a cry that bleed into a laugh and then a desperate, unheard plea as it entered its death throes and dragged everything with it.

And then, silence. Perfect, beautiful, silence, and the emptiness it brought. No Nobunaga, no Ransei, no Aurora, no Kazumi, no Tadashi, no war, no screaming; just silence. Silence and uselessness.

"Lord Tadashi?" Oichi finally voiced, dredging the Auroran up from the void. She had watched him just sit there, perfectly passive and in total silence, like a puppet that had just had its strings cut. Had it not been for the shallow breaths, he might as well been a corpse for the past few minutes - and like a revenant, life sprung back across his features at hearing her concern; wiping away the rigor mortis of shock and guilt and replacing it with the still deadness of serenity.

Tadashi's head creaked over to his side, lifeless grey meeting terrified brown. And Oichi could only watch on in horror as the corners of his lips twitched for the hair of a second, before slowly inching upwards into the faintest shadow of a smile.

"I'm perfectly fine, Oichi."

He didn't flinch.


	39. Chapter 39

Hanbei didn't really remember the past few hours. Barreling into the castle and frantically screaming for help between labored breaths felt like a lifetime ago. Stumbling down Terrera's halls until he reached his loaned room and not even recognizing that his knees buckled out from underneath him until after the fact was nothing more than an afterthought. And the desire to crawl onto the thin cot, close his eyes and go into a very deep sleep simply faded away into a inky haze. The tactician didn't even know if he was really asleep now; but Kazumi's confession - the words he had been too much of a coward to say - and her promise kept playing across his mind's eye in an endless purgatory.

"Hanbei."

It was impossible to tell who's voice it was, but the Ignite's mind automatically took it as Kazumi's.

"Hanbei."

_"Is this what limbo feels like?"_ he wondered lazily. It felt like he was endlessly spinning, eyelids too heavy to open, and left to aimlessly drift in his thoughts. He could still faintly feel the stinging numbness of the arm he was sleeping on and the stifling heat of the desert kingdom bearing down on him, but all it did was draw the tactician deeper into the mire.

And then he felt a firm hand on his shoulder yank him up. A sharp intake of breath followed by distant, reconciliatory light as he blinked himself back into reality. Purple orbs gazed up to the shadow looming above him, darkened against the dim blue flicker dancing behind its frame. Hanbei's first instinct was to immediately shrink away from the sight of a figure in all black looming over him; the second was to take a sigh of relief at seeing Kanbei's ghostly mien. All he could really muster was a defeated yawn, and a slightly envious glance at his still-sleeping Pikachu.

"Hey, Kanbei..." the other tactician remained expressionless, but let his hand fall back to his side while Hanbei turned towards the window. Sunset had faded into a cloudy night sky that erased all traces that Kazumi had been spirited away into it. The sigh that followed was all the Ignite could do to keep a sniffle from wracking him.

"How long has it been?" He didn't really want to know, and the short pause before Kanbei's reply only made the sense of dread grow.

"Three hours," the tactician replied dully. Hanbei let out a world-weary sigh and nodded, blinking as he wiped the sweat off his brow. The Ignite still remembered a time when he would nap away large parts of the day for fun - then after joining up with Aurora, he found that desire slowly fading the more time he spent around Kazumi. Hanbei had always liked Hideyoshi; between the optimism, his easy-going idealism and a genuine desire to be a good Warlord, he was the one Warlord he had actually felt was worth his time in serving under. That he could actually contribute to something better for Ransei through. But Kazumi had been something else entirely to him; witty, empathetic, respectful, and determined to push both herself and those around her to do better in a way that Hideyoshi never had been able to inspire, the tactician realized he had begun to rely on her as much as she had relied on him and Kanbei. That she was much easier on the eyes than Hideyoshi was also another plus. Now the idea of having spent hours on end sleeping after she had been carried off nearly made Hanbei sick, but he simply couldn't muster up the emotional presence to even be disgusted with himself right now.

"You should drink," Hanbei looked down at the canteen the other tactician had produced for a few seconds before wrapping a shaky hand around it.

"Thanks..." the one in white muttered before taking a swig of the tepid water. It burned the back of his throat and nearly made his eyes tear up, but he neither sensation fully registered. Another period of silence followed, Kanbei sitting down next to his counterpart as Hanbei slowly gulped down the rest of the water, avoiding Kanbei's gaze and trying to ignore the glimpse of his own reflection in the window all the while.

"I love her, Kanbei," Hanbei didn't realize he had muttered it or that a sniffle did manage to escape him until a few seconds after the fact. "Kazumi said it first, too. She even stayed behind so I could escape."

Even with his eyes firmly fixed on his kneecaps, Hanbei could tell that Kanbei had given a solemn nod, and his shoulders started shaking after he felt the weight of Kanbei's hand on them. He couldn't even figure out whether he was starting to laugh or cry. The hot beads the Ignite felt beginning to trickle down his cheeks answered that question.

"I guess I know how you felt after Teru had to leave," Kanbei allowed a small smile to break what would have otherwise been a wistful façade, offering a quiet nod to the choked jab.

"It wouldn't have worked out anyways," the Ignite aristocrat said. "She was a merchant's daughter and had too strange a taste in men."

That got a small snort out of Hanbei, and he took the opportunity to force air into his lungs. A few more seconds of Hanbei trying to steady his breath against his tears passed before Kanbei passed him his handkerchief.

"You'll find a way to fix this, I'm sure," Hanbei blinked and looked up at the soft-spoken remark after swiftly wiping away at his face. Somehow Kanbei's small smile made the words sound infinitely more self-assured than they were. "You are a genius, after all."

The one in white let a slow blink consume his bloodshot features for a moment, and then with another heavy breath he steeled his features, forced his lips to edge upwards against an audible gulp, and gave a slow nod.

"You're right," he said in what he hoped sounded like something resembling confidence as he passed the cloth back to Kanbei. Hanbei then gave another nod, followed by a more genuine smile as the other tactician moved to grab the tools of their trade that had been packed away neatly into one of the room's corners.

"Thank you, Kanbei," Hanbei muttered as the albino unfurled the map of central Ransei between them, reprimanding himself that Kazumi wouldn't have wanted to see him rotting away in self-pity. Reshiram knew she already had to deal with enough of that without his help. Kanbei just nodded in turn, features steeling as Hanbei leaned over the parchment and started placing the color-coded blocks of wood across it. It was difficult to make out the details with only the pale light that Kanbei's silent partner and the moon provided, but it was enough for both - their vision had long become accustomed to the dark. Hanbei drew a finger along one of the lines representing a road, savoring the feel of the paper bending underneath his touch as a plan started to materialize in front of his eyes.

"Now, I'm betting Masamune's getting desperate; winter's drawing near and once it hits, the paths to Valora will start freezing over, making it impossible to call for-"

"Lord Tadashi?" Hanbei and Kanbei both looked up at the desperate voice in time to see a very shaken Oichi standing in the doorway. Her auburn eyes darted from one end of the room to another, and both tacticians suspected that if she clutched onto the wooden panel of the door any harder it would snap. She blinked self-consciously when her gaze finally focused on the two tacticians leaning over their plans, muttered something under her breath that sounded vaguely like an apology, and then disappeared from the doorway in another flurry of movement, followed by a miserable-looking Espeon. Hanbei turned back to Kanbei, the sudden realization flashing across both their eyes simultaneously.

"Gods, he's probably gone after them!" Hanbei shot up and took half a leap towards the door, only to get pulled back by a sharp tug on the tail of his coat. Kanbei just kept staring down at the map even as he kept a firm grip on the other tactician, much to the latter's annoyance.

"If Lord Tadashi really has, we'd be to late to do anything of use," half of Hanbei's mind was telling him to object and go aid Oichi in her search, but he pulled back his outstretched leg to turn to meet Kanbei's impending rationale. "But I doubt it. Lord Tadashi is recuperating and Masamune is long gone. He would also have to make a stop in either Illusio or Cragspur if he did set out for Avia."

Hanbei blinked, not entirely satisfied but dropping his hands back to his side. "C'mon Kanbei, Lord Tadashi doesn't have the best track-record when it comes to foresight. If not that, then where do you think he is?"

"Probably trying to formulate a plan by himself," the Ignite replied with an apathetic shrug as he continued to trace the imaginary line on the map where Hanbei had left off. "And I imagine his pride is too bruised to ask for help."

The tactician in white gave a recalcitrant nod and allowed himself to resume his seat from across Kanbei.

"Yeah," Hanbei set his chin against his knuckles, eyeing the jaundiced splotch that was Terrera on the map with a small amount of disdain. "You're right. Again," somehow, the Ignite felt the ghost of a familiar smirk nag at his face as another thought crossed his mind. "And at this rate, Kanbei, I don't think you'll be needing my help. Maybe I can even call it quits early."

A weary, half-hearted chuckle got past Kanbei's lips. "Perhaps not for myself, but Lady Kazumi most certainly could."

"Right," Hanbei forced his voice back to its previously detached state as he picked up a few of the blocks off to the side. "Anyways, while we don't know if Masamune was acting on Nobunaga's orders or his own initiative, he's undoubtedly gone back to Avia. Then there's still the matter of Viperia and Valora..."

For the first time in his life, Hanbei didn't feel exhausted from a sleepless night by the time he and Kanbei had finished plotting out their many scenarios.

* * *

Masamune was painfully aware that if his smirk got any wider it was liable to snap his face in half. He didn't particularly care.

The moon was firmly fixed in the bluish sky by the time he and his escorts had arrived back in Avia, but he sincerely doubted it was the cold, night breeze that had his captive shaking like a leaf. That she had tried to stifle a yelp the moment they took off, had been clutching Braviary's saddle with a white-knuckled grip for the entire hour or so long flight, did everything she could to keep her gaze fixed on the sky above during it, and then screamed out in sheer terror the moment he arced to avoid a cloud - because he could - were all massive tells. And, in the Avian's mind, yet another sign that it was meant to be. Masamune thought the Warlord would take the first chance to jump off Braviary she got, but she remained glued onto the saddle; legs and hands trembling against it as she clutched onto the leather for dear life, and shaky eyes fixed ahead into a blank stare. Having already dismounted, he decided to offer up his hand to the captured Auroran, grin refusing to bulge from his face.

The sudden movement finally dashed the thousand-yard stare that had fallen over her features, and Masamune found himself disappointed in her not slapping away his outstretched hand, and then begrudgingly conceded he admired the Auroran's composure as she climbed off his partner. She somehow made an indignant refusal to so much as make eye contact look stately. The Avian made a point of stepping in front of the Auroran the moment her boots hit the grass of the castle's courtyard, enough to make sure their eyes would meet while still giving enough room for the Warlord to view her ostentatious surroundings.

"Welcome to Avia, _milady_ ," Masamune finally said with an over-pronounced bow, marking the first words he had spoken to Kazumi since she had climbed onto Braviary's back. She just crossed her arms against her chest, letting a scowl break out across her dainty features. Masamune's face started to hurt, and he allowed the smile to dissipate as he rose back to meet her gaze. Kazumi's only response was letting her icy eyes narrow a fraction of an inch at the sight of the warriors gathering around them, and balancing her desire to not get harmed with the nagging compulsion to knock Avia's Warlord down a peg or two.

"If you're done showing off, I'd like to just get on with it," Kazumi said in the most nonplussed tone she could muster, maintaining her deadpan over the urge to allow herself a vindictive grin at the flicker of anger that passed over Masamune's face. Whatever reaction the Warlord would have defaulted to - especially as he swore he heard a few repressed sniggers from the crowd - was immediately pushed aside in favor of an impassive shrug and a neutral wave of the hand; the last thing he planned on doing was letting her humiliate him in front of his men. That she started checking her fingernails for imaginary dirt was making it all the more difficult.

"As you wish," he angled his head to meet the warriors he had waved over, keeping his good eye on the Auroran. "Show her to her quarters."

Kazumi didn't resist when both of her arms were grabbed and she was marched into the castle without any thoroughfare, nor did she look back at Masamune, who watched her go in silence as the onlookers in the courtyard started to return to their posts.

"She's a sharp one, I'll give you that," Masamune didn't even need to turn around to know who it was, and instead sent a mental order for his partner to go rest.

"Shut up, imbecile," Magoichi shrugged off the hissed barb with his usual indifference, while the Warlord just crossed his arms and pursed his lips, eye set firmly on the alabaster keep Kazumi had been dragged into. The high from earlier had started to die down, and now he could feel a familiar nag haunting the back of his consciousness. He spared a glance up at the moon; the sole, circular source of light in the night sky, looking down on the world below and casting its light on what would have otherwise been utter darkness. His eye turned back to the castle, and cast against the shadows of the orb above and the braziers below, it looked almost like a mausoleum.

"I don't like this," he finally muttered, practically hearing Magoichi raise an eyebrow.

"And I don't get you sometimes," the comment from behind him was accompanied by a sigh that sounded almost patronizing - but Magoichi was also smart enough to know when to drop a good jab in favor of a more professional tone. "You're worried about what'll happen if Nobunaga finds out?"

"That too," Masamune began walking towards a more secluded corner of the courtyard, followed by the mercenary. The sound of grass crunching underneath their boots was interrupted after Masamune took a cursory glance around and turned back to his second-in-command, the crescent of his helmet looking almost like the glint of a blade underneath the moonlight. "I think it was just pure chance that we found her when we did... but it feels too easy. Somehow. I don't have a shred of proof, but I _do_ have a hunch this is a set-up of some kind."

Magoichi felt himself taking a glance around the courtyard as well to accompany the obvious, "How?"

"Can't say," Masamune crossed his arms and turned back towards the dark sky. Magoichi could almost hear the gears turning in the brunette's head. "If it really is, it's likely someone was betting on me trying to take her; betting that I would get her away from-" Masamune's features were overtaken by an almost panicked blink, and his head whipped back to his lieutenant. "Kojuro's back from his stakeout?"

Magoichi felt a chill go down the back of his neck when he caught onto the Warlord's line of thought. "You think someone's plotting to kill her?"

"I think I just instigated the plot," the Avian grumbled, hand dropping to the hilt of his blade. "And she's no good to me dead. Go get Kojuro and hightail it to her room!" no sooner after he had finished had he darted past the mercenary, sparing only a second to look back over his shoulder. "I'll rally the guard and sweep the castle; we'll work out the details later!"

Masamune was already out of earshot by the time Magoichi opened his mouth to reply, and while he rarely understood any of lord's fancies or how he came to them, he knew it was better to go along without issue on this one. Better safe than the blood of an innocent - and admittedly cute - Warlord on his hands.

* * *

Poor sleep was something Motonari was used to. And in a twisted sense, even welcomed.

No sleep whatsoever, however, he absolutely loathed; and staring out the lone window in his cell, watching the starless midnight sky, the man knew he wouldn't get any tonight. He despised it not out of any sense of exhaustion or having to feel the sting of Nixtorm's climate - it was at least so frigid it had numbed all sense of feeling after the burning of the first few hours - but merely out of having nothing to do but turn inwards. And that was the last place the Greenleafer wanted to go. Motonari let out a weary sigh, the breath materializing in front of his eyes, only to fog up the window and obscure his view of his surroundings.

Much like the one question that had nagged him ceaselessly since Dragnor. One that he had only just been able to ponder in full now.

_"Why?"_

Why not execute him - if Nobunaga had been worried about making him into a martyr, it would have been all too easy to cover up his death from within the confines of his castle. Why turn to the one general who would have the most blatant and vocal misgivings about the command? No, the whole thing had been one magnificent farce aimed at Mitsuhide; he was merely a means to an end in it, and that had been obvious enough to him the moment the Nixtormite tried to bargain for his life. But why? Nobunaga had a reputation for brutal determination, not half-heartedness - yet twice he had been completely indecisive. Had he wanted to, he could have killed all of them at Terrera and won the war before it even began in earnest. If his goal had been to test Mitsuhide's loyalty, then why had he given the Nixtormite what he wanted after he defied him in front of all his senior officers? Nobunaga might have been reviled as fool in his youth, but he was not an idiot; he had too much agency over the circumstances and outcomes of those missteps for them to be anything but intentional. It was almost as if he was trying to goad-

_"Ah. Now I see..."_

Motonari put a stiff hand to his chin and allowed a small smile to break the icy frown that had consumed his features.

_"So that's your true plan, Nobunaga..."_ this time a low chuckle managed to escape him. _"How beautifully simplistic - hiding it in plain sight like that for everyone to dismiss as insane. It almost makes ours look juvenile,"_ Motonari's eyes drifted down to the shadowy outlines of the mountains in the distance. _"You are either more of a madman than I first thought, Nobunaga, or truly just a fool. But I can play along; this can only work to our advantage."_

He inhaled the freezing air of Nixtorm, feeling a distantly familiar fire slowly seep through his veins. It was almost _intoxicating_.

_"And it has been a while since I've engaged in some cloak and dagger. Why, this might even prove to be rather entertaining..."_ Motonari hung his head, allowing the shadows to completely engulf his face as he tried to make out the blackened expanse below his window. _"I wonder how far a fall it would take to reach the bottom? It doesn't look terribly deep. Well, all in due time, I suppose..."_

* * *

_"Looks like all our hard work will be for nothing at this rate..."_ Hanbei was tempted to grumble it aloud, but out of fear of the trio of gathered Warlords, kept his mouth shut. Then again, one of them had a Psychic Type with them, so would it have really made that much of a difference? The Espeon curled up in his lap purred as if to chide him, and the tactician responded by scratching the Sun Pokémon's belly. Pikachu, unable to sleep over all the talking, tapped the back of his head with its jagged tail.

_"You'll get your turn,"_ he replied to his partner jovially, the Electric Type letting out a sigh and burying itself underneath his beret. Hanbei shifted his focus from the Pokémon currently using him as a couch to the other warriors sitting besides him. Ginchiyo was quietly tapping her foot against the floorboards as Shingen, Kenshin and Ujiyasu carried on their debate without so much as an iota that they were aware there was anyone else in the room. The only signs of impatience Kanbei was willing to show was just occasionally shifting the scrolls and maps in his arms. Oichi, having cloistered herself between Kanbei and the corner of the room, just stared at her feet uncomfortably. Even Ujiyasu seemed to be getting irritated by the course of what had dissolved into a three-way argument.

"Honestly, Shingen," the Cragspurite slammed his elbows onto the map-covered table, running his fingers through his sandy hair. "In the amount of time it took me to get here, me and Kenshin could've stormed Avia by now."

"Need I remind you that Masamune is a kinslayer?" Kenshin growled out. "Don't believe for a moment the wretch is above using her life as collateral. And the last thing that needs to be done is to make him desperate."

"He's desperate to lose his kingdom, all right," Ujiyasu muttered back, slumping back in his chair and blowing out a puff from his pipe.

"This is no time for japes, Ujiyasu!" Shingen managed to surprise even himself at his outburst - though something in the back of Hanbei's mind said told him that wasn't why Espeon had suddenly perked up in his lap. The Terreran let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "First the lass gets kidnapped, and now the boy's disappeared. Capturing kingdoms won't mean squat if-"

"I have, have I?" everyone in the room perked up at the remark; it was almost airy, yet somehow managed to command authority. Shingen's gaze snapped to the source - the opening that led into the castle library - and caught Kenshin's Gallade spinning around to met it as well, arm-blades drawn.

"And where have you been?" Terrera's Warlord spared another glance at the Illusite and his equally startled partner. _"And how in distortion did you manage to sneak up on Kenshin and Gallade?"_

"Reading," Tadashi prefaced his colorless reply with an indifferent shrug. Hanbei had already felt a small pit form in his stomach when he first caught sight of the Auroran looming in the archway; from the armor warped by the heat of Zekrom's lighting set against his dour mien and the shadow hanging over his eyes, Tadashi looked like he just stepped off a battlefield. It was when the Warlord crossed the room at a gait leisurely enough that it almost seemed frenetic, cape trailing out behind him into a crimson pool, and then turned his back to everyone else that Hanbei decided something was horribly wrong. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that Oichi had come to the same conclusion - the audible gulp he got was proof enough.

"Can you teleport into Avia?" Tadashi continued to stare out the window even as he asked the question, not giving the slightest inkling of turning around to face them.

"We are not familiar with the keep's layout, and I refuse to put the life of a captive at risk," the hoarseness in Kenshin's voice managed to mask the ire seeping into his features.

_"Well, that threw about half of our plans out the window. So much for pulling an all-nighter,"_ Hanbei didn't care if Kenshin was able to read his mind anymore, even letting an annoyed sigh pass his lips. Kanbei nodded silently.

"Then what of Kunoichi?" the Eevee perched on his pauldron deigned to look the way of the three Warlords, but Tadashi's sunken gaze remained fixed on the seemingly-endless wastes stretching out from Terrera's castle.

"She would have a better chance of getting in than those louts, yeah," Shingen tried to keep his tone civil and ignored how Gallade's bloody eyes narrowed just an inch in his direction. "But Masamune's going to be at his most alert, too. I'd wait until he gets comfortable-"

"Then there's no way around it," the Auroran turned away from the glass, life flickering into his gaze as his head creaked back in their direction. "We will target Viperia next and isolate Avia. Masamune did this on his own initiative - Nobunaga had his chance and passed it up - and he won't overplay his hand yet. Kenshin and Ujyasu will return to their kingdoms and you will accom-"

"We're your allies, _boy_ , not your vassals," the masked Warlord growled out, standing up and placing his hands on the table with as much restraint as he could muster. Tadashi only arched an eyebrow.

"Do you have any qualms over the plan?" the Terreran nearly coughed in response, but settled for exhaling.

"No," he replied through gritted teeth. The Auroran only nodded coldly, and strode out of the room in a flash of red. Shingen slumped back in his chair and silently throttled the armrests while an uncomfortable silence feel back over the room.

"What in distortion was that?" Ginchiyo exclaimed, saying what Hanbei suspected was even on Oichi's mind.

"He's... probably just trying to cope with the situation," the Ignite offered quietly as he stood up, barely believing it himself. Espeon, having hopped down next to him when he stood, mewled out something Hanbei took as an agreement.

"Lady Ginchiyo," Kanbei peered at the Violighter out of the corner of his eye as he shifted his weight onto his cane. "Would you care to join Hanbei and myself? Any advice you might have would be welcome."

"Better than sitting around," Ginchiyo agreed, eyes fixed firmly on the doorway and mind flashing to the image of the bandaged Muneshige still training and maintaining that infuriatingly blasé smile of his for a second. Oichi waited until the trio and their Pokémon had left to stand up and offer a heavy bow to the Warlords at the table.

"I'm so sorry... I'll try to find Lord Tadashi," the Auroran mumbled, shrinking under Kenshin's piercing glare and Shingen's weary nod before walking away with as much propriety as she could muster.

"Teenagers," Ujiyasu muttered once she was gone, taking another whiff of his pipe.

"You shouldn't be so hard on her," Shingen said as he turned to Kenshin, ignoring the Cragspurite and the cloud of smoke starting to hang above him entirely.

"She is both a threat and a target," the Illusite retorted, arms crossed and eyes lowered at Shingen's mask. "And the amount of favor that the Auroran shows her is dangerous."

"Would it kill you to show some pity for once in your life, Kenshin?" Ujiyasu sighed, leaning back into his chair and pulling the pipe out from between his lips. "None of us wanted this."

"As you pitied the young Masamune when he asked you to help save his father? And how you were unwilling to risk your warrior's lives in what did turn out to be a blood bath? In how none of us wanted Avia to be ru-"

"That's enough, Kenshin," the Terreran's exasperated voice preempted Ujiyasu's increasingly hardening scowl. The two Warlords continued to glare at each other until Kenshin closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and sat back into his seat, giving the appearance of a man who had just fallen asleep upright. Ujiyasu only took another puff and let his features soften.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Shingen stood and wiped his hands on the sleeves of his robes, trying to convince himself that the Aurorans were nothing compared to Kenshin and Ujiyasu. "I have a war to win."


	40. Chapter 40

It should have been a simple trip to Terrera: check on Tadashi, talk to Shingen about finding a way of rescuing Motonari, try to clear the air between herself and Hanbei and then turn strategic command over to Dosetsu so she could do some digging on Reshiram's whereabouts - because she would sooner consign herself to Distortion than let some half-baked illusion from a psychotic warlord talk her out of it. And hopefully wash her thoughts clean of Yaksha's rotting stench over the course of her sabbatical.

Kazumi still couldn't grasp how it had gone so wrong, and just stared down at the tepid tea in front of her like the reflection in it would suddenly shift and make all the events of the past day suddenly clear to her.

"Drink," her response was to look up from the cup and eye Masamune. Avia's warlord was seated across from her - tauntingly just out of arm's reach, and flanked by his two armed lieutenants - arms crossed and returning the glare with an edge of something that actually made her uncomfortable. It wasn't the hawkish look that she had come to associate with him, but something closer to a panicked curiosity. He hid it well - perhaps some of Hanbei's perceptiveness had rubbed off on her? - and that only set Kazumi on edge even more.

"Is it normal for you to personally serve your hostages their meals?" she said, eyes going back to the drink and the bland-looking food Masamune had brought along with it.

"Is it normal for a captor to put a hostage up in a comfy room instead of a cell?"

_"It is if it's at the top of the castle,"_ was the response that first came to the Auroran's mind as she stole a glance at the room's sole window, but she quickly banished the urge to retort. Indulging childish impulses wouldn't be worth it now. Kazumi returned to the tea for the third time, wondered briefly if it was poisoned, and then decided that Masamune had no need for such subtleties if he wanted to harm her.

"What now?" Kazumi asked, deflated, after taking a sip of the drink. Lukewarm, but still having a palatably earthy taste and scent. It reminded her vaguely of conversations and picnics with Hanbei, Kanbei and Motonari in Chrysalia's gardens, and of quiet days spent in the shade of Aurora's courtyard with Tadashi, Oichi and Naoshige. Masamune only raised an eyebrow when he thought he caught the faintest of smiles flashing across the Auroran's mien, but pushed it aside.

"Depends," he said, clucking his tongue. Kazumi his her pursed lips behind the rim of the cup, waiting for him to continue.

His silence was more infuriating than every other indignity she had suffered over the past few hours.

"So," he finally said, voice threateningly neutral. "Do you have anyone who might bare you or your brother ill will?"

Kazumi felt her lips part and then go stiff, and for a few seconds that was all they were able to do. Was he seriously prodding _her_ of all people for potential allies!?

"Aside from _you_ , no," the Auroran didn't even bother to try to restrain the steel leaking into her voice, despite more than a handful of other names flashing across her mind. To Kazumi's surprise, Masamune only blinked and leaned back, a vague look of self-satisfaction spreading over his face.

"All right," he said, standing up with a nauseating air of self-satisfaction and sauntering over to the door with his retainers. "We'll talk later."

A number of things happened in the few seconds after Masamune looked over his shoulder and said that in the most patronizing tone Kazumi had heard in her life; he left with the all the parental air of someone who had just told off a child - she was too busy fuming over that to wonder why he had bothered putting a total of five guards outside of her room - while she nearly crushed the teacup in her hands in lieu of his neck, and then ran over to the window the moment the sliding door slammed shut.

The only light she had to go by was the silver wan of the moon and the few candles in her room, but it was easy enough to make out that she was imprisoned about three or four stories up. Kazumi let out a small sigh - not that she expected a potential escape to have been that easy - and slumped back to the center of the room to give it another lookover. The walls seemed decently sturdy, the only things of note were a half-empty bookcase, the lampstand in it and the bedroll, and the sheets looked far too thin to be of much use.

Kazumi's hand brushed over Shingen's dagger, still buried in the folds of her sash, finding some comfort in the fact that Masamune had likely just assumed the warlord to be unarmed when he threw her in her prison. Even if she was still clueless on how to use the one advantage she had in this fiasco, the sheer idea of the look on Masamune's face when he realized his initial arrogance had been his undoing more than made up for it.

_"It's something, at least,"_ she thought, drawing on another deep breath to steady her nerves. _"I'm going to have to go about this carefully. Masamune's... not the idiot I thought. Reckless and lucky, but I can't solely rely on him slipping up. If he wants to talk later, I guess it'll be my best chance to getting out of here."_

Kazumi's eyes landed on the bedroll again, and flickered back to the moon for a brief second. Her eyelids felt heavier all of a sudden. _"I can check the room more tomorrow..."_

Because all she wanted to do right now was imagine she was back in Terrera with Tadashi and Hanbei.

* * *

Maybe it was just the lighting, but Nixtorm's climate seemed to have done wonders for the welt that had previously consumed most of his prisoner's face.

"Well, I can speak again without feeling pain, thank you for asking," Mitsuhide's response was a small, sympathetic nod; it had been a simple courtesy to ask, but he suspected that such pleasantries could make all the difference with the Greenleafer. Hence the tea kettle between the thin cushions they were seated on. Motonari took a small sip from his cup, flinching imperceptibly at the heat, but otherwise keeping up an immaculate façade.

"My, did you brew this yourself? You'd certainly have a talent for it," the Nixtormite could only blink self-consciously at the praise.

"Thank you," he didn't feel like mentioning that his daughter had helped him make the blend - he found Gracia's insistence on seeing his prisoner both troubling and depressing. He got the vague impression that, somehow, Motonari knew anyways.

"Regardless, I don't believe you came simply to have tea with me?" the Greenleafer said from behind the brim of the porcelain in his hands. The only extent of his surprise at his prisoner's forwardness that Mitsuhide was willing to show was a simple blink.

"I need something," Mitsuhide said, tone still soft but arms crossed and eyes level. It was Motonari's turn to blink, and he leaned forward a hair to refill his teacup.

"Yes, I think you do," the grassy-haired man said with a small nod. Mitsuhide resisted the urge to rub his temples.

What had Lord Nobunaga even expected him to accomplish here? Information? The coalition's strategy was as painfully obvious as it was effective; the best counter would simply be forcing an offensive - and if there had been any changes to it, the Greenleafer was in no position to know specifics. Collateral? The Aurorans had charged ahead without a care in the world; Cragspur and Yaksha had fallen, and Viperia had only been saved by Avia's reinforcements. All the while as their army lazed about in Dragnor. The sheer sadism of it all? Then why had his Lord bothered to transfer him into his custody at all - and his custody out of all the other candidates at that? Ieyasu would have hesitantly obeyed, No probably would have been enthusiastic about trying to get something out of the captive, and Masamune may have very well used Motonari as a human shield. All he had the heart to do was stick the warlord in a frigid room and serve him tea in some crude pantomime of carrot and stick.

Then what did that leave him with? His lord wanting to quietly push the man off to the side? Uncharacteristically generous and just as unlikely. Was it just some cruel reminder that he could order Mitsuhide to do anything and he'd obey like some beaten lillipup? The Nixtormite was certain that was perfectly within the realm of possibility. He blinked self-consciously when Motonari suddenly shifted - the first thing that flashed to his mind was that he was about to lunge, but the quiet sound of tea filling up his cup again dragged the Nixtormite back to the situation at hand.

Mitsuhide gave his prisoner another once over as he drank. Was that his third or fourth cup? They might as well have been shots at the rate that he was downing them.

"Tell me," Motonari's serene voice freed Mitsuhide from the last chains of his thoughts. The look on his face - what part of it wasn't covered by the teacup - was just as mossy as his tone. But the faint gleam in his eyes was something Mitsuhide couldn't place. "What do you know about a warrior called Harukata Sue?"

Mitsuhide frowned; why would he of all people bring that name up?

"Just the short of it; that he was known as the Invincible Warrior of the West while he was alive. And now he's dead and you're Greenleaf's warlord."

Motonari nodded solemnly, head titled low enough to cast a shadow over his gaze.

"Yes..." he let out a sigh. "Do you want to know why?"

The Nixtormite's frown deepened. Why what? Why Harukata fell from power? Perhaps his motives for killing him? Dozens of variations on the tale existed: that Motonari had given him poisoned tea and then funneled the resulting outrage against Ignis, that Harukata had holed himself up in the throne room and tried to kill both of them with a gunpowder-filled tea kettle, that he died in battle after cutting down wave after wave of Motonari's supporters - that he even opened his own stomach upon being quietly exiled. Any or all of them could have been true. And after nothing but months of war, marching, mental duels with his lord and now having to deal with a prisoner who thought he was the jailor and finally the promotion of some random vagabond who had just showed up on their doorstep to Nobunaga's inner circle, the last thing Mitsuhide wanted to hear or think about was some epic tale of intrigue, betrayal and death.

Distortion, reading over an inventory of the _larder_ sounded more palatable.

But, slowly, Mitsuhide could feel his curiosity growing - that confounded part of his youth that had refused to shrivel up and die like the rest of him had long ago. The part that had first led him to follow Nobunaga, the man who defied death itself. And now with the possibility of having the sure knowledge that there was another Warlord in Ransei with as much blood on his hands as his lord - and being able to pick his mind, have his motives and reasons spilled out for him to sift through...

"I suppose," it would have been impossible to notice had he been any less attentive, but Mitsuhide swore he caught Motonari force his lips straight as he took another sip of his tea.

"It all began at Ignis, in the siege of 192," the Greenleafer's eyes darkened for a second. "Everything seems to begin in that confounded kingdom..." the Nixtormite didn't know what to make of that utterance. "It had turned into Distortion on earth. The loss of life was so terrible Lord Yoshitaka lost all desire to fight. Harukata wanted revenge and was convinced that Yoshitaka's passivity would bring about Greenleaf's demise at another kingdom's hands..."

"Time passed; the break between lord and retainer grew quietly until it was irreconcilable. In my optimism - or was it arrogance? - I did nothing to stop one friend from murdering another like a wild beast," Motonari heaved out, gaze shaking as he said so. "Harukata moved with the force of a whirlwind afterwards; pinning the assassination on the Amago was easy enough - as was purging his most vocal opponents and then bringing in a fledgling prince of Violight to fill in the-then vacant position of Warlord. Perhaps Harukata's plan worked too well; I think the guilt from his second failing broke what remained of his psyche," the look on the man's mien had become so heavy Mitsuhide was amazed it didn't fall off. "I had sat back, secure in my ideals that patience, reasoning and faith in my fellow man would be able to deter the oncoming storm. In short, I was a complete and utter fool for trying to ignore the truth. And I couldn't bear to hear the screams any longer. The end result was that he, his puppet, and many good men needlessly died, and I was left to pick up the pieces and endure the echo."

"So tell me," Motonari finally returned an empty gaze to his captor, some measure of warth seeping back into his voice. "What would you have done in my position?"

"What?" it was only when Mitsuhide opened his mouth that he realized his throat had gone dry. Clammy hands clenched together as Mitsuhide tried to resist the urge to rub away the impending migraine. Motonari's gaze stayed level.

"As I said; I acted because I realized there was no other way - perhaps it was my overconfidence in the possibility of such that sealed that. Was I right to have faith and hope against hope that I could avert such bloodshed with rationale, even if Harukata believed he was acting in our interests?" the Greenleafer allowed the shadow of a grimace to return to his lifeless features. Mitsuhide barely caught it before it vanished. "Or would you have taken a gamble with life itself, acted sooner knowing you had the power to, and tried to prevent such mindless losses - even if the world would turn against you for it?"

A shaky blink consuming a pale face was the only response Motonari got before Mitsuhide stood and stormed out of the room.

* * *

They were set to march for Viperia in two days.

In the meantime, Oichi found, with a mild amount of frustration, her lord had busied himself with being spotted everywhere across Terrera's castle. She thought it would have been easy enough to find the nearly six foot tall acting Warlord of half of Ransei, cape, armor and all after he billowed out from the war council. Instead she ended up chasing one dead end after another; the armory had led to the training grounds, the training grounds had led to the infirmary - Oichi practically felt her heart stop at that revelation, and Jigglypuff having to nudge at her to respond certainly didn't help - the infirmary had led to the castle library, and she had given up on being able to find him after asking a still-incensed Shingen who seemed to have tried taking out his frustrations on his lunch.

And so Oichi still couldn't believe the part of the castle she had stumbled into Tadashi:

The garden.

She had slumped her way into the oasis, tucked away in some forgotten corner of the castle, in search of some solace; that Shingen had even taken the time and effort to try to support a whole panorama of Ransei's fauna in the middle of the desert was a breathtaking sight in of itself. But for all the vibrancy around her, the only thing Oichi could bring herself to appreciate was that the flowers wouldn't whisper about her the moment they thought she was out of earshot. That the Auroran had been pulled out of her musings by overhearing Tadashi's mumblings only made the pit in her stomach start gnawing away at the rest of her insides.

"He could, couldn't he? But he wouldn't, would he?" Oichi didn't know who exactly he was talking to; the Eevee on his shoulder, the roses below, or to himself. And she wasn't sure she wanted to know; she took a few steps forward, the sound of her sandals slapping against the stone finally breaking Tadashi's monologue.

"But I will," he said loud enough for Oichi to hear over the pounding of her heart. She saw him shift in place, still hunched over the flowerbed - it was hard to tell what he did exactly, seeing as the cape obscured almost all his features - and giving off the impression that he was totally oblivious to her presence. Oichi steeled her nerves and tried to draw on the indignation she felt at his behavior as she tried to muster up the presence to get an explanation out of her lord.

"To think that such beauty could grow in such desolation..." Oichi stopped cold in her tracks at hearing the sullen remark, and her heart skipped a beat when Tadashi began to stand up, crimson spilling all down his back. The girl nearly flinched when the image of him lying face-down in Terrera's sands suddenly imposed itself over her thoughts, and her resolve begin to erode as Tadashi turned around to meet her gaze. Her heart seemed to thump in conjunction with his every step as the Auroran closed the distance between them, coming to a stop only a few inches away from her. Stormy, dulled grey met shaky auburn, and to Oichi it was like staring into the eyes of a wild Pokémon. Breath caught in the girl's throat when she saw his hand shift underneath the trim of his cloak, and whatever words came to mind died the moment she saw what was in his hand.

The head of an immaculately white rose, with a faint smear of blood from his thumb staining one of the petals.

Oichi tried to say something, screamed at herself mentally to overcome the garbled mess that one flower had managed to turn her emotions into, but could only bring herself to stammer out a 'thank you' through a faint blush and the pounding in her chest. They only got worse when Tadashi leaned in and, with a gentleness she didn't even know the warlord was capable of, worked the rose into the ribbon that kept her ponytail up.

"You're too good for this war, Oichi," Tadashi said almost wistfully, stepping back and giving Oichi enough distance for the Auroran to suppress her racing pulse. It was after the warlord had stepped around her and started down the garden path that she finally regained her bearings and steadied her nerves with a deep breath.

_"Focus, Oichi. You've survived brother. You can do this."_ Oichi spun around.

"Please don't push me away, Tadashi." he came to a stop, slowly and silently, back still turned to her. Oichi could feel the cold sweat start to collect on the small of her neck as the seconds crept by, the whisper of the wind and chirp of some nesting Flying Types sounding like a gathering storm. And then he spun around with enough force that the Eevee perched on his shoulder leaped off with a yip, cape casting a crimson trail across the blue sky as his gaze returned to Oichi. Through clenched fists and shaking shoulders, she didn't budge. Tadashi's face was perfectly still - and that set Oichi more on edge than the vision of turmoil she had expected - but his previously murky eyes had sharpened into a cool silver. Not the grey-blue she remembered from when he was just some greenhorn from the boonies of Ransei, nor the cloudy color she had come to associate with whenever he was wrestling with his demons. Just reflective, polished silver, like she was staring into a pair of mirrors. And she could practically see her reflection in them.

For the faint glimmer of a second it seemed like his mien was about to crumble in the face of some quiet desperation, but when Tadashi finally did speak, his tone was as level as his gaze and stance. "Why, Oichi?"

She blinked and took a step forward, debating whether or not to reach out for him. "Why?"

The façade broke. His hands curled into fists, a scowl etched itself across his face, and the Eevee by his side slinked back a few paces. "Yes. Why? Why is Ransei doomed to an endless cycle? Why did my sister have to get taken away from me? Why do I have to bear this burden? Why am I not strong enough to? Why do I always succeed in harming those around me?"

Oichi felt a sharp pang of guilt each time his voice escalated, but she swallowed her anxieties and mustered a sympathetic smile, saying the first thing that came to her mind. "Would you like to talk-"

"No," Tadashi turned around as quickly as he said it, face quickly fading into the blank slate it had been a minute ago.

"Tadashi-"

"Why do you care, Oichi?" the question stopped whatever thought was flying around in her head. The world seemed to slow down; Oichi became painfully aware of the fact that they were alone, and the whisper in the back of her mind to confess long-suppressed feelings turned into frenetic screaming. And for all that, she couldn't bring herself to say the three words she wanted to; the last thing the girl wanted to do was add another object to the ever-increasing list of items her lord tormented himself over.

"Because-" Oichi gulped. "Because you saved me."

"So this is only a debt a to you?" what little emotion made it into his voice sounded utterly crushed, even if that infernal poker face of his refused to budge.

"No!" the girl cried out, feeling her face heat up in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "It wasn't just saving me from Nobunaga!" Oichi forced air into her lungs, fighting against the tears starting to form in her eyes. "You - You and Lady Kazumi - you've given me everything. You took me into your circle, gave me a voice, and accepted me despite Nobunaga. For the first time in my life, I've had a family; and you've done everything in your power to protect it." she let out a heavy breath, eyes lidded. "And you gave me hope when no one else would, Tadashi. Hope in Ransei, hope in humanity, hope for the future - hope in myself. And it hurts me to see you like this - to see someone else suffer as such."

By the time Oichi had finished, the Jigglypuff in her arms had nearly turned purple, and Tadashi's face finally crumbled. It was a near-imperceptible shift, the girl thought as she released her vicegrip on her irate partner, but _she_ saw the shift in his eyes regardless. The slight quiver at the corners of his lip was the only clue that the storm that had returned to his gaze actually affected him, and for the briefest second it looked like he was fighting back the desire to fall to his knees. Oichi tried holding his increasingly shaky gaze and then finally reached an equally-shaky hand out to her lord. His eyes drifted from her brown orbs to the dainty palm, and then back to her.

And then Tadashi did the one thing Oichi hadn't expected; he turned back. It was impossible for her to tell if his face had hardened again or if he finally had given up on trying to keep himself composed; but from the way his shoulders slumped as Eevee jumped back onto its perch, she could practically see the guilt on his face.

"I... I need some time to think. Alone," his voice was as weak as his stride.

_"No!"_ Oichi cried out in her head. _"That's precisely what got you into this vicious cycle!"_

"Tadashi," he stopped, and the girl tried desperately to bring her thoughts to bear. "You don't have to suffer this alone."

He stood deathly still for a pregnant moment, caught between the shade of the few trees she was under and the glare of the desert sun that beat down on Terrera's castle.

"And you've suffered enough, Oichi," Tadashi said faintly, stepping into the stark shadow of the sun.

Oichi couldn't bring herself to follow him.


	41. Chapter 41

_"Some way to greet a guest!"_

The situation was too sudden for Hideyoshi to put any effort into voicing his thoughts; the Ignite barely understood how or even what he did to end up in his current predicament (well, he certainly couldn't imagine being murdered over accidentally knocking over that expensive-looking vase near the entrance, but he doubted that was it) - he only had enough time and sense of mind to let out a startled yelp as he rolled to avoid the Dragon Pulse shot at his face.

"Counter with Flame Wheel, Monferno!" he flinched as he heard the wall explode behind him, but ignored the heated rubble his back was pelted with in favor of keeping an eye on his partner. He could feel that the Fire Type was just as startled and confused as he was; they had barely made it two steps into the atrium of Dragnor's castle before the attack shot out at them, and somehow between that point and his dive, their guide - waist-length ponytail and all - had completely vanished. And left them alone against a Hydreigon that made a pathetic excuse for a greeter.

Hideyoshi's partner sprung into action, the Dual Type letting out a shriek before it sped off in a ball of fire at the dragon. Hydreigon launched another Dragon Pulse at it - almost sluggishly, the Ignite noted with mild curiosity - which Monferno easily outmaneuvered as it continued to blaze across the blindingly polished black floors. The moment his partner slammed into the behemoth across the room and it not only barely flinched - albeit ordering a Fire Type move against a Dragon Type wasn't the wisest of choices, the exile thought belatedly - but just opened its maw again, Hideyoshi realized what exactly he was going up against.

And in that, he also saw his chance.

"Mach Punch!" he shouted with all the bravado he could muster. Monferno wasted no time, building off the momentum of the Flame Wheel to slam its fist into the underside of Hydreigon's jaw. The Dragon's head reeled back, maw slamming shut right as it was about to unleash another Dragon Pulse, making its head take on an almost bulbous appearance. The blowback from the attack sent both Pokemon flying. Hydreigon land in a heap, hacking out a cloud of smoke, while Monferno managed to land upright.

"Again! Don't let up now!" the Fire Type launched off across the field only a second after Hideyoshi's urging, slamming its fist into the Brutal Pokemon's exposed face. Hydreigon coughed out more smoke as it was thrown on its back, crashing into the marble with an audible crack. With that, the chamber fell into a deathly quiet; Hydreigon remained unmoving, while Hideyoshi and Monferno looked on in a combination of awed disbelief and suspicion.

And then the downed Dragon Type let out an almighty growl, and the Ignite could feel the walls practically shake in response. He gulped, and curled his hands into fists to keep them from trembling.

_"Get ready to dodge with Flame Wheel,"_ Hideyoshi muttered through their link, right before Hydreigon shot up with a snarl, readying another Dragon Pulse.

"Enough."

The sonorous voice echoed off the walls, sounding more powerful than any of Hydreigon's attacks. The Pokemon quickly and effortlessly obeyed, discharging a weakened beam harmlessly into the floor, all the while shooting a look that was best described as 'you got lucky' at them. Hideyoshi's blood only went cold, and whatever words he might have formed quickly died when he spotted the source of the voice.

At the top of the staircase in the back of the chamber, looking as statuesque and regal as the rock-hewn portraits surrounding him, stood his host. Even as Monferno returned to his side and Hydreigon slinked off to the shadows behind the pillars lining the walls - where his guide was also waiting, the Ignite noted absently - Hideyoshi couldn't take his gaze off the figure that had descended from his perch and came to a stop a few feet in front of him.

And if there was one thing Hideyoshi would allow himself to be self-conscious about, it would have been his stature; being a few inches shorter than the twins and Hanbei was effacing enough, nevermind having to glance up to make eye contact with Kanbei. Having to tilt back far enough that he could feel the pull of gravity on his topknot, however, was another matter entirely. And for the first time in his life, gazing into the serene black of Nobunaga's eyes, he truly felt small.

"Tell Nobunaga this;" the Dragnovian finally spoke, and the exile felt himself instinctively straightening his back. "What is it that you desire?"

Hideyoshi gulped, squared his shoulders, and somehow found it in himself to speak coherently.

"What I-I desire? I... I envision-" he shook his head, exhaled and gathered his thoughts; fear would serve him no purpose here. "No: I _seek_ a world where everyone can bond with Pokemon; a world where all can benefit and experience joy from it. A world where the determining factor in life isn't your name."

Mitsuhide, having silently watched from the sidelines, could only look on in horror as their guest finished his soliloquy.

_"He would seek to extend this curse of blood to everyone... to make the entirety of Ransei as mad as he is!?"_ the Nixtormite quickly recalled he was alone in his sensibilities and settled for letting out a deflated sigh.

"Oh?" Nobunaga drawled, sounding almost amused. "And what drives you in that?"

By this point, Hideyoshi was able to maintain eye contact and not feel like he was slowly being suffocated.

"My pa worked his fingers to the bone every day in the fields, making sure we had enough to get by, and my ma was a servant in the castle - neither were warriors, and they lived to serve. When they found out I _could_ do what heritage had denied them, they did everything they could to set aside enough for me so I could actually do something with my life. But why? Was it just an accident of birth that I could link with Pokemon?" the exile paused and pursed his lips. "Even if it was, I don't care: I now have an opportunity to help make a new Ransei for everyone. To pursue the truth I hold in my heart. And I wouldn't be able to show my face in Ignis again if I don't."

Nobunaga raised an eyebrow. For the shadow of a second, Mitsuhide believed he was actually interested in the Monferno of a man standing before him.

"And this Ransei you desire; do you believe it would be perfect?"

"No," Hideyoshi replied, voice flat but eyes full of fire. "I have no illusions about utopias or an easy road to peace. But I know it will be better."

Nobunaga's lips curled upwards, and the Nixtormite in the shadows found himself wishing it was as hollow as the other times the warlord grinned.

"And what would be your name?"

"Hideyoshi Hashiba, mi'lud," the exile replied, bowing. Nobunaga nodded, and turned to the two figures waiting in an uncomfortable silence.

"Mitsuhide; procure a helmet befitting my new general." both Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi felt their mouths open.

"Lord Nobunaga," the Nixtormite said, taking a few powerful steps forward. "Perhaps a few more tests would be in order? He did lose his kingdom, after all."

The 'he looks like an Auroran peasant and smells like one too' part of his complaint went unsaid.

"Mitsuhide," the man in black replied, turning fully to face him. To his credit, Mitsuhide conceded, Hideyoshi remained staring at the spot where his new lord had just stood, as if he was completely oblivious to the objection. "Nobunaga was under the impression you favored an offensive."

It was the Nixtormite's turn to flinch, fully understanding the implications behind the comment.

"Yes, my lord," Mitsuhide replied, offering up a bow before returning his attention to Hideyoshi. The Ignite looked back this time. "Would you like me to get some new armor as well? A set that preferably isn't caked in grime?"

Nobunaga only waved off the comment as he turned back to the staircase.

"Monferno," Hideyoshi, already well accustomed to the nickname, suppressed any desire to sigh and bowed.

"Mi'lud?"

"Henceforth you are the new Warlord of Viperia; you are to head out with all due haste. Stall the Coalition for as long as you can." And with that, the Warlord marched back up the staircase, Hydreigon in tow.

"Sir," the rechristened warlord replied, maintaining his bow to keep anyone from seeing the smile that had completely consumed his face. There'd be a time to celebrate later.

* * *

Blistering sunlight had quickly turned into grey, cantankerous skies: the looming storm might have discouraged most, but the cooler temperature only drew Violight's warlords out onto Terrera's proving ground. Dosetsu and his Luxray busied themselves with prowling about the peripheries of the battlefield proper - the retiree wasn't one to let something as trivial as the loss of all movement in one of his legs dissuade him from a stroll in weather he would describe as 'cheery' - while Muneshige and Ginchiyo busied themselves with swordplay, leaving their partners to watch on as steel clashed against steel. Had Muneshige been any less focused on dodging the flurry of strikes in the least conventional manner possible, he probably would have stopped to ruminate on how poetic it felt. And then turn around and use the topic as a method of disrupting his lady's concentration.

"Stop dancing, Muneshige!" his response to the command, having been punctuated by a thrust aimed at his neck, was to parry Ginchiyo's attack and step back with enough flourish to annoy her. Her retort was a scowl and another slash. "Be a man and actually fight!"

Muneshige couldn't keep the smile off his face, even as cold steel clashed an inch from his nose. "That's hard to do when you're the competition, _milady._ "

Ginchiyo's next attack nicked his cheek. The Junior Warlord just kept on grinning, and the other Violighter made a point of pressing her next attack long enough to force a deadlock.

"If you put half as much effort into your training as your quips, Violight would've been the one leading the charge against Nobunaga by now!"

"I think we'd need to work on your temperament first, milady," Muneshige replied coolly, breaking the deadlock with an almighty push upwards. Ginchiyo took the opportunity to jump backwards, avoiding the following slash, and then lunged forward before he could center his sword again.

"Although you have an excellent point there," the Violighter conceded, using his free hand to edge away the dangerously-sharp end of her sword from his neck. If there was one thing Ginchiyo was willing to grant her lieutenant, it was his ability to keep his poker face intact even against the faint amount of sweat gathering on his brow.

"Passable," Dosetsu said; softly by his standards, which was more than enough to get both Violighter's heads to snap in his direction. Ginchiyo let her sword-arm fall back to her side while the other brunette sheathed his blade and folded his arms behind his back. "Muneshige, you need to rely less on taunts in battles: you're going up against strangers. Ginchiyo, do not allow anyone under your skin. Try to shorten your stance as well - you're leaving yourself open to be thrown off balance."

"Sir," came the synchronized reply. Dosetsu's silvery gaze simply drifted to the corners of his eyes.

"And Lord Tadashi," it was only then that the other Violighters became aware of the crimson pillar looming behind the ex-warlord. "If you're going to try sneaking around, do it in something that won't drag."

Ginchiyo's only reaction to the sudden shift in the shadows behind her father was to raise an eyebrow and cross her arms; as attractive as the idea of wondering how the enshrouded figure of her lord managed to escape hers and Muneshige's attentions was, she settled for turning back to her resting partner and whistling. Tadashi stepped out of the shadow of the lone tree on the training grounds, seizing up for the shadow of a second as the dark skies above rippled with the clap of thunder. Muneshige raised an eyebrow.

"I take it you're finished with swordplay?" the Auroran said, not skipping a beat. Ginchiyo looked back from Luxio to him, features pointedly neutral.

"We," the woman began, hand moving from the her hilt of her sword to the mane of her partner. "Were just about to best Muneshige once more."

"If you put half as much effort into your quips as your glare, milady, you might actually be able to wound me," the Junior Warlord's retort was punctuated with a nonchalant chuckle as Staravia glided over to his outstretched elbow.

"Good," Tadashi said blandly, slowly stepping onto the field. "We've been out of it for too long."

"And I'm guessing you want to go against both of us?" the woman replied, sounding almost enthused at the idea. The Warlord just nodded.

"Yes."

"You can always request a round with Lord Shingen," Muneshige offered up with an unassuming smile. "From what I've heard, you seemed awfully eager to pick a fight with him."

"A challenge," Tadashi returned through a flat composure. "Not assisted suicide."

"The two of you could use the practice in coordinating your movements," Dosetsu said with an air of finality. Ginchiyo nodded, waving her second-in-command over.

"I can't see this lasting for too long..." she muttered as the other Violighter arrived, gaze trailing Tadashi as he drifted over to the opposite side of the field, Eevee dropping to his feet when he came to a stop.

"I seem to remember you saying that when Aurora first came to Violight," he whispered back.

"And _I_ got over it," Ginchiyo deigned to meet his gaze for a second. "I see you have yet to."

Muneshige just smirked and shrugged - his way of conceding. Tadashi only watched the exchange with what could have been described as mild indifference.

"The first move is yours," he said, hand outstretched, as if it would carry his levelled voice across the field. Ginchiyo felt her hands slowly clench into fists as she reached into her link with Luxio, quickly running through possible strategies. Muneshige only raised the hand with Staravia on it.

"Aerial Ace!" a mere second after the Flying Type had launched itself off the Violighter, Ginchiyo took the opportunity to shoot him a disapproving scowl.

"It is quick, isn't it?" he replied in a less enthusiastic tone that let her know he wasn't talking about his partner. She nodded begrudgingly; Eevees were not known for their strength or durability, and Tadashi relied almost exclusively on his partner's ability to maneuver around the field and slowly wear down their foes. Using Aerial Ace to herd the Normal Type right into Luxio's range wasn't a bad tactic at all.

"Use Charge, Luxio," Ginchiyo uttered, transfixed in watching the Flying Type sail across the field at a pace that would make any Zebstrika envious, leaving a wispy cloud of dust in its wake. She blinked in disbelief when she saw the shadows of not two, but twelve silhouettes on the other side of it.

"Double Team," Muneshige grumbled just as Staravia cut through the first of the Eevees, spinning up into the air to avoid any possible retribution. Tadashi only silently raised his hand, and the horde of Pokémon at his feet surged forward right before Muneshige's partner swooped in. Ginchiyo felt her features steel when she realized all of them were headed for her and Luxio.

"Charge again, get ready to unleash Thunderbolt," her order came just in time; the Eevees barreled through the faint smokescreen at a speed that could have only been attainable with Quick Attack, with even Staravia struggling to stay on their tails. Ginchiyo began counting down in her head as they drew closer, feeling miniscule change in the atmosphere around her and Muneshige as Luxio drew more and more static into its mane. She didn't need to look to Muneshige for him to understand what came next; his order was confirmation enough.

"Pull back, Starvia!"

"Now."

"Fire!" Ginchiyo's eyes drifted away from the battlefield to the Auroran on the other side of it - his features were completely unreadable, hidden under the shadow of his helmet and cape, but the Violighter got the impression he had just grinned at having preempted her command by a mere second. The Eevees reacted accordingly, immediately breaking off their direction along with Staravia as bolt after bolt of electricity shot out around them. Within a matter of seconds there were only half a dozen of the copies left, and that number would have continued to drop had the survivors not immediately stopped in their tracks, spun around, and begin kicking a torrent of sand onto Luxio. The Spark Pokémon hissed as it was blinded - and was promptly rewarded with a mouthful of earth - and forced itself to stagger back at Ginchiyo's mental command.

"Muneshige!"

"Already on it," Staravia twirled back around seamlessly, Muneshige stepping to the side to let it glide up behind Luxio. "Whirlwind!"

Staravia let out a piercing shriek and whipped its wings, sharp gales of wind easily cutting through the barrage of sand and the remaining illusions. It took a second for Ginchiyo to realize that amounted to all the present Eevees.

"Luxio, Charge!" she shouted, the other unsaid specifics of the warning shooting through their link a second before the ground underneath Luxio opened up. The Evolution Pokémon slammed into Luxio's underbelly, and it was at that moment - that moment of physical contact - that Ginchiyo let the edges of her lips curl upwards.

"Release, now!" Luxio let out the best roar it could with Tadashi's partner plummeting into its gut and released the all electricity it had been storing in its fur.

To no avail.

"What!?" the plea sounded like it had been punched out as she watched Eevee finally launch Luxio off its footing and into the middle of the field. The Spark Pokémon wasted no time in getting back up, only for Eevee to slam into it with Quick Attack as it made its way back to Tadashi's side, Staravia in hot pursuit.

"Aerial Ace!"

"Dig."

Eevee escaped into the earth right before Staravia swooped in, wings ablaze in a cool blue. Tadashi took a half step to the side, the wind pulling on his cape as Staravia shot past him and glided up above the field. Ginchiyo met his gaze with a piercing glare the moment it turned back to the field.

_"The Sand Attacks - those were just a makeshift Mud Sport. We need another tactic,"_ Ginchiyo thought, grimacing as the Auroran's face twisted into the shadow of a grin.

"Lightning won't strike the same place twice," and like so, his features returned to the utter impassivity that had completely defined them up until that moment.

"He's changed," Ginchiyo muttered.

"Shocking as it sounds, I've heard being electrocuted can do a number on one's personality," there was a brief second of silence before Ginchiyo fully turned her head to meet Muneshige's visage, face as flat as Violight's plains. The Junior Warlord only held his hands up in a silent defense, and then looked back to the battlefield, his mind briefly wandering back to when their lord had first appeared. Ginchiyo followed his gaze; Tadashi's head was hung, once again obscuring all his features, and Eevee had yet to reappear. She felt her teeth start to grind; she absolutely hated situations like this, being able to do nothing but prepare for and react to the inevitable. As long as the Normal Type remained in its underground burrows, it was untouchable, and they had no way to flush it-

"Use Whirlwind on Luxio, Staravia," with those five words, Muneshige managed to draw the gazes of everyone present. Even Staravia, well above the battlefield, whipped its head back to the Violighter for confirmation. The Flying Type wheeled itself around a moment later, eyes not betraying anything as it whipped up a gust against the Spark Pokémon.

"Muneshige!" Ginchiyo nearly yelled. "What are you-"

"Milady, please trust me," he returned quietly, tone completely devoid of any of its usual lightness. "You need to attack when I give the signal."

The Warlord could only blink - and whatever Muneshige's plan was, it seemed that Tadashi had caught onto it quicker than she had, from the way his head suddenly snapped back. She heard a grunt of what was decidedly pain as it levelled, his hand clasping down on his mien before she could see what had just happened - though the tremble in his lips was still visible, as was the golden reflection of the sands in his eyes.

"No. Quick Attack, NOW!"

Eevee cut through the ground in a hail of dirt and sand, nothing more than an earth-colored blur and a pillar of white aimed straight at Staravia. The Flying Type didn't even have a chance to notice before Tadashi's partner slammed into its gut. Muneshige watched in veritable shock as his partner plummeted - or, rather, was pushed by the other Normal Type - into the field below. Ginchiyo's attention snapped back to her partner when she caught a glimpse of a flash and a crackle out of her peripheries - when she saw the new sheen to Luxio's coat, she immediately understood.

_"Time to go on the offensive,"_ was the first thought that came into her mind, lips curling and hands clenching. From the dead gasp Muneshige had let out a moment prior, Ginchiyo didn't need to look hard to see that Staravia had been knocked out - how a mere Eevee could have mustered up the power to not only reach Staravia but knock it out in one hit was beyond her, but the Warlord simply shoved the question aside with the sloppy answer of 'momentum' and focused on the field. She couldn't rely on Staravia to herd Eevee in, and while Luxio wasn't as fast as the pest, her partner did have more range and more raw power. Time to put it to use.

"Thunderbolt!" she shouted, not caring about how dry the climate had made her throat. Luxio charged forward, unleashing a hail of the electricity it had been denied of using for so long in Eevee's direction. Tadashi was either slow to react or had resorted to drawing on their link to communicate - the Evolution Pokémon narrowly avoided being stuck by the first arc of lightning shot out, the second scorched its paws as it moved to dodge, and the third landed dead center. By the time it was able to scamper back on its feet, Luxio was upon it. Tadashi blinked, and his features hardened even further.

"Dig!"

"Catch it!" Ginchiyo wasn't about to let him regain the high ground - Eevee moved to burrow itself another foxhole, only for Luxray to close the distance and latch its fangs into the scruff of Eevee's neck. Tadashi paled.

"Into the air and fire!" the Violighter raised her arm and Luxio followed suit, releasing its vicegrip on the Normal Type only when it threw Normal Type skywards, followed by a quick burst of lightning.

"Double Team and Dig!" the Auroran shouted, hands trembling as another bolt of lightning connected with his partner.

"Flash!" Ginchiyo threw her arm over her face, the last thing she saw before the burst of light being Luxio rearing back its head and Eevee flailing as it fell to the ground. The Warlord quickly blinked to dispel the spots hanging in front of her eyes, and immediately noticed two things about the battlefield before her: the absence of any Normal Types, illusory or otherwise, and the displaced earth a fair distance away from Luxio. Ginchiyo's eyes instinctively darted around the battlefield for any sign of an incoming attack - any sudden shift or disturbance in the sand or dirt - while Muneshige just leaned in.

"He's retreated."

"What gives you that idea?" she shot back, not bothering to divert her gaze.

"Because he intends to win this bout," Muneshige uttered, tone level and eyes peering forward. "And given your tenacity, he'll need time to regroup. That's when you need to attack; and I believe only Thunderbolt w-."

This time, she did spare a glance back at her lieutenant - if only to give him a glare that said 'stop stating the blindingly obvious'. And as if on cue, the ground in front of Tadashi opened up.

"Thunderbolt!" Ginchiyo wouldn't even give Muneshige another chance to remind her - or for Eevee to collect its bearings. Luxio let out the most powerful roar it had yet, fueled by the determination it felt across its link, and poured all of its remaining energy into one current of electricity. The smell of ozone flared up as it crackled across the field, bearing down on the unprepared Evolution Pokémon. Tadashi remained silent.

Eevee risked a second's glance back at him.

His gaze just remained fixed forwards, directly on the incoming lightning. The complete lack of _anything_ through their link - including the sudden burst of strength it had felt present throughout much of the match - left the Pokémon only one choice; act of its own volition. With no time to Dig, Eevee used Quick Attack to propel itself to the side as far as it could; rather than be subjected to an attack that would have decidedly settled the battle in the Violighter's favor, Eevee was simply blown off its paws by the force of the impact. Tadashi, however, remained unmoving in the face of the attack's fallout - and it was only after he had weathered a wave of dust and sand that he even so much as blinked. His head then dropped, and even from across the field, Ginchiyo - who had watched his complete obsolescence unfold with a curiosity that bordered on morbid - could see that his hands were trembling. He then looked over at his partner, and the sand-dusted Pokémon returned the favor - whatever had been spoken between them was quickly shelved in favor of turning back to their opponents.

"Well fought. We concede," the Auroran's words were hasty, but not enough to give the idea of being insincere - or mask the undercurrent of distress that even she managed to pick up on. His departure was just as hasty; a sudden twist of his cape accompanied by Eevee limping back to his side, and he had already taken his leave. Ginchiyo had turned back to her lieutenant too quickly to notice the stagger in Tadashi's pace.

"As I feared..." Muneshige said as he watched the red form fade back into the shadows of Terrera's equally red castle. Another crack of thunder bellowed out overhead, and the Violighter became painfully aware of the holes being bored into him.

"I do not approve of such tactics, Muneshige," Ginchiyo growled, arms crossed and visibly trying to keep any more indignation than necessary from leaking into her actions. Muneshige blinked away the shadow of fear.

"I would rather you resort to something other than brute force than endanger your life on the field of battle, milady," he replied; tone neutral, but accompanied by a rare bow regardless. Ginchiyo let her shoulders slacken a bit - it might have not have even been a full five seconds, but for the first time in recent memory, the Junior Warlord realized his lady had actually taken the time to think through her response in advance.

"Your concern is noted," the warlord finally said, almost quietly. But the way her fingers gripped her elbows told him that it was far from settled. "But I don't want you using a trick like that against an ally ever again. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Muneshige replied, almost servilely. And the way his steely gaze looked back up at her, even through the hunch of his bow, told her he agreed. "We will, however, have to bring this up later. For all our sakes."

Ginchiyo spared a rare glance back. "Later," she nodded, before turning her attention to their partners.

And Dosetsu - having stood silently on the sidelines throughout the whole ordeal - blinked at the scene that had unfolded before him, and then felt the most unnatural swell in his chest.

* * *

The time that had followed from his concession to where he now found himself was a blur to Tadashi. The Auroran recognized the tree he had taken shelter under as being one of the few kept in Terrera's garden, but any memory of how exactly he had come underneath it was, at best, a hasty recollection of pained stumbling. Vision had blinked in and out, and the distant voice of his partner had been the only constant as the singular thought of solitude guided his steps through the burning. Sitting down had done little to alleviate the pain - and it was unlike any he had felt before, like all his insides were on fire - but at least the Auroran's senses had started to return to him. It only made the pain more apparent, and he let out a hiss as his head hit the bark he was lying against. Tadashi hadn't even realized Eevee was in his lap until the Pokémon nudged its way into the crook of his arm, trying to provide some comfort. Maybe it was just the idea that someone could truly understand his pain - if only through their link - that made it actually bearable. He, apprehensively, spared a glance up at the sky above.

_"How long has it been?"_ the clouds were still black, beckoning a storm that looked like it might never come, but between their shifting figures he could make out a silvery orb against dusk. And then it was swallowed up by the cloudscape with another rumble of thunder. The Auroran tensed, and then tentatively relaxed, running one hand through the fur of his partner. It brought something resembling calm.

"Pathetic," he uttered, hanging his head. "Absolutely pathetic..."

"A native-born Violighter..." shaky, silver eyes gazed up at the black skies. "Scared... Scared of _lightning_!"

There was no answer from the clouds. Whether that was something to be grateful for, Tadashi didn't know. He felt Eevee nip at his hand - not hard enough to break skin, but enough to break him out of his thoughts. He only sighed and continued to rub Eevee's back, forcing his thoughts elsewhere. All he could manage was to switch from replaying one part of the battle over in his head to another. The rush of adrenaline, the sudden clarity, the complete loss of anxiety, and how his link with Eevee grew so strong that they had unfettered and continuous access to one another's mind - he knew what had happened. But he refused to believe that his Warrior Skill would have triggered over something as trivial as a sparring match. And for that matter, he remembered well the last time it did: during his final battle with Hideyoshi for Ignis, back when they were two kids who managed to push one another to the limit of their very limited skills. And he remembered how winded and in need of a nap he felt afterwards; not that his innards were being liquefied. Shaky fingers untied the knots keeping his helmet on; it clattered to the sands a second later, and he felt the cold wind of the desert slam against his sweaty forehead.

Tadashi closed his eyes and took another heavy breath; it stung, but it ebbed away the pain in the seconds that followed. The Auroran remained intransigent as he found some small comfort in returning to the rhythmic, monomaniac motion of moving his hand through the Eevee's fur, and the sound of the desert winds skirting around the flora surrounding him. Another breath followed, less labored this time, and he allowed his curiosity to return him to the battle; to the power that, if only for a few fleeting moments, he had at his complete disposal. Tadashi felt sickened at the memory, and from more than just a reminder of the lingering pain: the only thing he could recall from before it happened was the overwhelming, almost nauseating, idea that he would suffer another indignity, and that someone else would pay the price - _yet again_ \- because of it.

_"And what does that say about you?"_ the familiar voice in the back of his head - the one only he allowed himself to hear - whispered. He silenced it with more thoughts of the battle, and remembered the quiet tapping into his link had given him. It frightened him; the aberration of it all.

_"And yet..."_ it returned, and Tadashi found himself nodding against his will:

It was _intoxicating_.

The ability to completely lose himself in the battle; the numbness as fears were replaced with plans, as the background faded into a distant memory and was replaced with the movements of his partner: it was like tactical acumen itself had been crystallized into an emotion. It would have been euphoric could he have comprehended it then.

But that was then and this was now; and fear had returned with a greater awareness. And the pain. Another clap of thunder, and this time he caught lightning streak across the darkened skies.

_"Pain."_

Albeit brief, it had been completely overwhelming under Zekrom. Were he to face Nobunaga in battle again-

_"That's some lovely circular thinking you've got there,"_ the voice drawled.

"Silence," he hissed back. It was then that Eevee stirred in his lap. That broke him out of his doldrums, and it was only in the middle of comforting the anxious Evolution Pokémon did he become aware of the sudden drop in temperature over the residual burning. He gazed around; as cold as the deserts would get at night, this was something else entirely. It felt claustrophobically cold, like the air around him had condensed into an invisible hand that was slowly slinking itself around his neck. It immediately made him think of a ghost - or, rather, how all the ghost stories Muneshige would tell him and Kazumi when they were kids always seemed to have the air getting suddenly colder right before the specter would show itself.

But those were stories, and he doubted there were any vengeful spirits drifting about that had it out for him.

_"Unless... If she-"_ Tadashi exorcised the voice as quickly as he could, even as he felt the chill spreading down his back. It was only after chasing away the mental image of a broken face with glassy blue eyes and muddy hair that he realized his nails had dug violently into his scalp. The sound of heavy footsteps behind him dashed the last of it. He dropped his hands, belatedly realized there was nothing to grab onto, and slowly let his head drop as the sound of earth crunching grew louder. Tadashi tried to slow down his breathing, hand going back to the now bristling Normal Type as he reached through his link - straining as it was - to comfort it. The footsteps came to a stop in front of him, and he could practically feel Eevee boring holes into the intruder before he even looked up. He fought against the voice telling him not to - that this could all very well just be an illusion brought about by the pain and night and not worth his attention at all. A flimsy excuse for not facing his troubles, he shot back as finally he lifted his heavy gaze back above.

He immediately recognized the would-be specter - who had positioned himself as to directly obscure what view he had of the hazy moon above - as a ninja. A disturbingly tall ninja with red hair and the complexion of slate who was also likely armed with any number of weapons capable of ending his life in the blink of an eye. He smiled, revealing a line of teeth that looked just a little too sharp underneath the thin moonlight, and then offered a slight bow to the slumped-over Auroran.

"Good evening, Lord Tadashi," Tadashi was too busy flinching at how gravelly his voice sounded - while trying to keep his partner from doing anything rash to the man who had claws jutting out of his armguards - to wonder how long his visitor had been watching him. Tadashi felt the breath slowly leave his chest; specifics were irrelevant now - he doubted that the ninja had just happened to stumble onto him alone out of sheer coincidence.

"If you're here to kill me..." Tadashi began, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. "At least spare Eevee." There was a flicker of amusement in the figure's eyes as the Pokemon finally broke its silence in a frenetic blubber of name-based squeaks. The Auroran paid them no heed, thoughts torn between a silent prayer that by some miracle this wouldn't be the end - _not before I've seen sister safe again_ \- and trying to come up with some way to extricate himself from this situation.

"How noble," the man deadpanned, being one eye roll short of insulting. "If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking right now."

Tadashi didn't feel like arguing the point.

"Then why are you here?" he mumbled through a ragged breath, letting his head drop again in a combination of relief and resignation. Eevee followed suit, heeding his silent directive and crawling back into his arms, glaring at the ninja all the while.

"I come as a messenger," the would-be specter replied in the same glib tone as before. "Nothing more."

Tadashi didn't give him the satisfaction of eye contact, but he still raised an eyebrow.

"A messenger from who?" the answer he got was a derisive chuckle.

"Wouldn't you rather hear what _I_ have to say?" this time Tadashi looked up, gaze steely. The messenger's smirk grew into a grin - the kind of grin that could make anyone's skin crawl. His tone took on the same saccharine inflection. "Masamune intends to execute your sister."

The world around the Auroran seemed to freeze. The winds had died down, the dark skies quieted, even Eevee's soft breathing had stopped. The only sound that he managed to process was a gulp: his, against the back of his now-dry throat, and it burnt worse than Zekrom. And then he managed to open his mouth and the mental dam broke.

"And why should I believe you?" Tadashi said, shakily, over a heart-rate that could put a Zebstrika to shame and an even louder clamor for detail.

The grin grew a hair wider, and Tadashi barely managed to keep himself from lunging at the figure, pain and mental exhaustion be damned.

"You shouldn't," the ashen-skinned ninja replied, taking half a step back, grin never faltering. "It's easier that way."

The wind suddenly picked back up, and took the figure with it. Tadashi waited a few seconds before letting his head hit the tree behind him. The warlord barely registered how want for air his lungs were over the internal demands for him to do _something._

"Come, Eevee," he said, the Evolution Pokemon jumping out of his arms as he forced himself up. He felt an altogether different type of burn consume him as the moon managed to break through the clouds above, gracing him with its illumination once more. He took a step towards the castle, stumbled, but forced himself to continue. Eevee followed.

"The night is fleeting, and the dream is long."


	42. Chapter 42

Kazumi blinked, and then recognized where she was. She wished she didn't.

The massive walls before her, black and gold interwoven together: memories of her ordeal in Yaksha came flooding back. She was standing in front of the doors to Dragnor's throne room, and the Auroran could do nothing to help the chill that crawled down her back.

"Are you ready?" the twin spun around, finding herself face to face with the mossy lord of Greenleaf. Motonari was as she remembered, and not the younger apparition of himself that had been impaled on a blade she didn't know how to wield.

"How did you get here?" Kazumi found herself asking, voice almost shaky. He just smiled in his familiar, quietly warm way, and it was enough to allay some of her nerves.

"I have always been here," he said calmly, eyes moving from her to the doors behind her. "And now you must do what I could not." Motonari then let out a heavy, world-weary sigh. "I'm sorry your generation must finish what mine started."

Kazumi nodded, not completely understanding, but still hearing the sincerity - the truth - in his words, turned back to the doors. They looked a little more imposing than they had mere moments ago, but she reached out regardless. The moment her hand touched the icy surface, the doors began to part; by the time she was able to step through, she was greeted with the sight of what had to be well over a hundred Dragnovian warriors. All robed in the Oda's black-gold heraldic colors, spears that had to be twice her size in hand, and all flanking the row of gilded tile that led up to the Obsidian Throne. The Auroran couldn't help the glower that consumed her face when she saw the shadow enshrined upon it. She took half a step forward, forgetting any sense of self - remembering only cradling her brother's body in Terrera - and barely even noticed the rows upon rows of faceless warriors taking the knee as she passed by. Not that they were worth noticing - they were faceless, mindless and heartless to a man. One would have to be to serve the Warlord of Dragnor.

It felt like an eternity before she reached the foot of Nobunaga's throne; by the time Kazumi had she was struggling not to see red, and Nobunaga still looked at her with the same indifference he had during her inscrutable march to his seat of power. As he did in Terrera. Head titled, sharp jawline resting on his fist, and black eyes peering down at her, the Conqueror was clearly waiting for her to make the first move. She obliged.

"I'll never forgive you for what you did to Tadashi."

She heard her words echo off the empty walls and vaulted ceiling before he reacted. Slowly, Nobunaga raised an eyebrow, and then straightened himself in what had to be the slowest and most casual recoil she had ever seen.

"What Nobunaga did?" he replied at the same leisurely pace, a lupine smile consuming his face afterwards. It was followed by a low chuckle - and if it was intended to get a reaction, the only one Kazumi was willing to grant him was a scowl as her blood started to simmer. " _We,_ " he drawled, finally meeting her gaze, and for a fleeting second, Kazumi felt herself tense. "Inflicted no wound that was not already there. Nobunaga merely gave it a means by which to show itself."

"Rubbish," Kazumi snarled. "I watched you order your sister dead," her voice shook, and she tightened her fists. "I watched him throw his life away for her. For someone he barely knew."

Nobunaga leaned back, jawline returning to his knuckles - the black of his armor polished enough that she could see her own reflection in it, bloodshot eyes and all - though the corner of his lip refused to flatten out. "And how do you think your lesser half got the impression his life was worth so little?"

Kazumi heard something in the back of her head snap. Her hands flew to her hip, clutching the sword hanging from her side. The sword that had always been there, she realized, and had just waited quietly for her to finally acknowledge it. One hand on the scabbard - knuckles as white as the wood - and the other on the hilt, cold steel flashed across her vision and then retreated to the peripheries of her senses. The twin was already halfway up the steps to the throne before she even realized her legs were moving. Soon after she realized she no longer cared about restraint - Kazumi knew she and she alone could end the madness that had engulfed Ransei by cutting it off at its source.

The Auroran was only a step away from the top when she raised her arms, preparing to bring cold steel down upon the impassive face of the man who had caused so much misery. Nobunaga didn't move. He didn't say anything. He just continued to look up at her with the same maddening impassivity - the same tauntingly knowing smile, the same indifference to life. The Auroran brought the blade down without a second thought.

And then there was the scream.

Kazumi shot upright, taking in a breath so sharply that it hurt as her eyes darted around the room. Plain walls, a sterile white sheet and thin moonlight greeted her, and she immediately recognized where she was - but not the scream that she heard. The ear-splitting crack that followed gave her no time to muse on it either; out of pure instinct, she reached underneath the flimsy pillow to grab the dagger hidden there, blue eyes darting to the door. The Auroran could make out the silhouettes of the guardsmen outside the paper door, and the pale light of the lantern one of the trio was clutching - and their complete lack of movement in response to the noise. All the while the familiarity of the scream - she knew it hadn't been her voice, at least, dry as her throat was - continued to nag at the back of her mind.

It was hard to judge much time had passed, but after watching the generally sedentary and unperturbed shadows of the guards until a visible shift in the moonlight pouring into her cell occurred, Kazumi finally decided that she was in no immediate danger.

But that just brought things full circle: maybe no immediate danger, but every second she spent wasting away in this cell was a second that someone else might be needlessly risking their neck for her. And the last thing she wanted was Hanbei - or worse, Tadashi - ending up captured or killed because of some half-baked rescue plan. Kazumi stood up, slowly, like a pop in one of her joints would alert the indifferent guards on the other side of the thin panel that was the door to her cell, and tiptoed over to the window across from her. The moon was low in the sky, and the black of night was starting to give way to more cheerful colors. She had a few hours before breakfast was delivered. A gaze was passed between her bed and down to the lacquered sheath in her hand - more sleep was appetizing, and she doubted there was very little that could be done with the blade without even having a good idea of the layout of the castle.

But it was late at night, the guards would not be as alert, and she would be guaranteed a few hours of uninterrupted plotting if she acted with enough deftness. But what was there to do to begin with? Kazumi peered out the window - not out of interest of seeing how far up she was, as she remembered vividly being marched up three flights of stairs, and she doubted she would get enough of something capable of letting her to scale down the castle wall anytime soon - and did her best to make out the layout of the courtyard between the waning moonlight and the few torches of the night guard. The gate leading down into the town below was in plain view of her room - intentionally, maybe? - but so were a few spacious-looking stables, along with an equally vacuous platform jutting out from the castle wall. The Auroran could only sigh as she turned away. The former wouldn't be feasible without cover, and the latter wouldn't be possible without a Flying Type.

Or a stronger stomach. Bed it was.

First the Warlord stashed the dagger away in one of her discarded boots, the metal forming a somewhat orderly pile with the rest of her discarded armor, having been tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the room. Why Masamune allowed her to keep that much, she didn't know, but she was grateful. Be it for generosity or arrogance, she didn't care. Crawling back under the sheets did little to ease Kazumi's thoughts: sleep was an unattractive prospect at best, and her mind gave her little quarter on an escape plan. The dagger would likely be useless in any offensive capacity - somehow managing to isolate, overpower and hold Masamune hostage and then get him to honor any demands she made him acquiesce to seemed impossible at best - and the most she could probably get out of it was a makeshift lock pick. Somehow finding a way to get through the wooden wall and into the adjoining room seemed more plausible in comparison, but with her cell being at the end of the hall it would still be fruitless. The window was suicide. The brunette rolled over on her side, thin pillow feeling slightly less lumpy, and found her thoughts going to Hanbei - knowing him, he'd likely try to trick the guards into giving him what he needed to get out. Or at least make a good attempt of it. That would be her best bet anyhow, unless if he got to her first. What was he planning? Was he working with or against Tadashi?

Kazumi rolled back over again, this time finding herself staring at an empty, vaulted ceiling. For some reason it only made the distance she felt between herself and Tadashi seem even greater. Would Motonari have any advice on it? How would the sagacious Greenleafer even act in her situation to begin with? No; how would he get out of it?

Kazumi sighed, tossed herself over to face the wall, and shut her eyes just a little too tightly to look normal; this was getting her nowhere. Was that what she hated the most about being a prisoner? The constant reaction - having no control over her surroundings, no knowledge that anyone was safe, no way to see to it? Maybe, the Warlord admitted to herself halfheartedly. But even for causing all of it, she couldn't find it in herself to hate Masamune for it. That irritated her more. Why did he even put up such a stubborn show of cooperation with Nobunaga to begin with? What was his impetus for being the one man in the entire army of Dragnor that seemed eager to take the initiative? She doubted it was any genuine sense of loyalty - the way Shingen and Ujiyasu had spoke about him made that much obvious. But sheer opportunism didn't seem to fit either, regardless of what the two said. Not only because that would have dictated him defecting along with Ujiyasu, but simply since he seemed too proud for something so dull.

That night had turned into dawn hadn't even occurred to the twin until the door to her cell slammed open and she threw herself upright instinctively. Masamune stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking rather pleased with himself at having presumably disturbed her sleep. Magoichi stood behind him, carrying a tray of food and looking much less smug.

_"Speak of the devil..."_ Kazumi thought to herself, relaxing her shoulders and resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "How pleasant of you to join me," it was the least scathing of the greetings she thought of as she pushed the sheets off and sat facing him, folding her legs underneath her.

"Five in the morning is usually too early for me to deal with smarminess," he replied with an indifferent shrug. "But I can make exceptions for guests."

Magoichi's only contribution was placing the tray of food - yet another bowl of rice, some lukewarm-looking tea, and a couple of persimmons - next to her bed and then going off to lean against the wall while Masamune sat directly in front of her view of the doorway.

"So," he began, leaning forward to put a less-than subtle emphasis on his good eye. "Why don't you tell me a bit about your brother?"

Kazumi's immediate response was a blink. "He looks just like me, except he's a guy," the twin quickly recouped in an almost cloying voice, not betraying any satisfaction at her response. Magoichi - well out of Masamune's line of sight - didn't share her reservations. The reaction from Masamune wasn't what she expected.

"Really?" he said, still leaning in but allowing a smirk to break across his face. "Because I heard he has silver eyes, lighter hair, acts first and thinks later."

Kazumi didn't know it was possible for her blood to run cold and boil at the same time. Whatever state her mien had fallen into, it was obvious from the flicker in his eye that Masamune saw he struck a nerve. The Auroran did her best to gather her thoughts.

"Not unlike you," she bit back. Masamune didn't budge.

"Except I haven't gotten fried yet," Kazumi felt the breath begin to swell up in her chest, and for a moment the girl imagined that she free; back on the battlefield, Espeon at her side and her warriors at her back, facing off against the Avian.

But this wasn't a battlefield, and she wasn't free. The brunette exhaled and dipped her gaze, hearing Masamune's armor clink as he leaned back in turn.

"Why are you here? Just to taunt me? Watch me squirm?" the thought of taking the opportunity to jab at him taking time at all to try to get a rise out of a prisoner came and went. Masamune just shrugged.

"If I wanted to do that then you would be in the dungeon."

A roundabout way of saying it would be entirely superfluous, Kazumi thought to herself. "That's not an answer."

"You didn't answer my question." He already knew that Tadashi was reckless - distortion, all of Ransei probably knew by now - so what more exploitable character flaws could he possibly want? Not that she would ever give him any.

"What was that gunshot last night?" Kazumi wasn't quite certain why she asked it - she could chock it up to a combination of desperation, curiosity and a slowly-bubbling anger keeping her from thinking as clearly as she normally did - but that was quickly shoved aside in favor of surprise at the visible reaction that seemingly innocuous question got out of him. It took the Avian a second to wipe away the look on his face - it was more than just surprise, and if Kazumi was being generous she would even call it horror - but it was a second long enough for Magoichi to step in for Masamune.

"Stumbled upon a Spinarak when I was patrolling the halls last night," the mercenary began with enough casualness that she almost believed him. "Hate the things, and I shot out of instinct."

The Auroran had nothing else to go on, and between that and having somehow managed to shake Masamune, she could only nod in begrudging acceptance. The Warlord of Avia, having peered indiscernibly at his lieutenant out of the corner of his eye, wordlessly returned to her, face stony. He stood after a tense second of boring into the Auroran - and for the first time since meeting him, she felt genuinely intimidated by his gaze - and then turned to the door.

"We'll talk later," he uttered, leaving a second later, Magoichi close behind. Kazumi turned towards her meagre breakfast and couldn't find her appetite amongst it.

"Had the dream again?" Magoichi asked after they walked past the guards. Or, more accurately, Masamune strode and he tried to keep up.

"I pay you to shoot a gun, command a Pokémon and carry stuff, not to tell me what my nightmares mean," the Warlord growled out, not even bothering to look back at his subordinate.

"All right, forget I asked anything," Magoichi replied, throwing his arms up and deciding on a less personal question. "What _were_ you hoping to get out of that anyways?"

"Nothing," the one-eyed Avian said, finding his usual swagger again. "There's nothing I can currently get from her that I want. But I _do_ want her to know that I can get it if I did, and that she is not in a privileged position to give or withhold it."

"You didn't give her a reason to believe that it'd be better to work with you."

"She's smart, is in a guest room instead of a cell, and has plenty of time to spend thinking," Masamune countered as they turned a corner, barely catching the sight of a door cracked open in a guarded hallway full of closed doors. He slowed down and then motioned for Magoichi to stop once they were around the corner. "Though it might be a good idea to hit the point home. The Aurorans will be going after Viperia next - they're going to put off risking her for as long as possible. I'll lead a strike force into Cragspur; get Kojuro and take the rest of the army to Viperia. Tonight. The more Nene owes us, the better."

The mercenary nodded and Masamune turned back to the castle's central staircase, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder.

* * *

"Hey, Lord Shingen?" Hanbei, already halfway through the doorway to Terrera's study, suddenly remembered the notion of manners and rasped his knuckles against the open door. "You in?"

There was a shuffling from somewhere within the spacious room that had been used to host their war council earlier that morning, and the rotund Warlord of Terrera appeared from within the adjoining library a second later.

"Eh? Ah, it's you," he said, peering at the Ignite from behind his mask before turning around to throw some scroll back into the library. "What's on your mind?"

_"More than I thought possible,"_ Hanbei nearly said; tactically and strategically, everything they had planned out that morning for their attack on Viperia had been sound enough, but the guilt about having to forestall any attempt to rescue Kazumi ate away at him worse than any disease he had weathered. No reassurance from his mind could restore his sleep, no matter how logical or correct, nor was there a more powerful impetus to rectify past mistakes.

"I found it odd you didn't have any special role planned out for Kunoichi in the plans this morning."

Shingen shrugged, and Hanbei got the impression the Terreran knew he was beating around the bush. "I know Viperia well enough; path to the castle's surprisingly straightforward. Difficulty lies in making your way through it."

"Would you be opposed to me suggesting something she could do?"

"Depends," the Warlord in red replied, looking almost unimpressed from the way his lips straightened. "If you're suggesting that she go and try to rescue the lass-"

"No, no- I'm not," Hanbei said; if it hurt the Ignite to say it, it equally surprised the Warlord to hear it. "Not her, at least."

"Oh?"

"Lord Motonari," the tactician continued. "He's been invaluable to our war effort - no; Aurora would have never gotten anywhere without him."

"Kenshin couldn't discern whether or not he survived that battle. And if he did, who's to say that Nobunaga hadn't offed him?" Shingen returned.

The Warlord in white resisted the urge to growl at the thought. "There's no evidence to say he's dead, either - and I don't believe that Nobunaga would waste potential collateral, or that Lord Motonari would just die like that."

Shingen blinked, crossed his bulky arms, and then lifted his gaze to the ceiling. "Kunoichi?"

With all the grace of a Persian the shinobi fell from her perch in the rafters above, landing behind Shingen with little more than a light thump.

"I've... heard from a friend of a Valoran friend that he might be locked up in Nixtorm," the brunette said as she stood upright, arms folding behind her back and Sneasel landing next to her seconds later. Shingen turned around, eyebrow arched, while Hanbei silently demanded an explanation from her on her silence. Even if she eschewed most of the traditional Viperian norms of recalcitrance, Kunoichi showed no signs of nervousness - or sheepishness - at the Junior Warlord's uncharacteristically sharp gaze. "Only got the info a couple days ago and was waiting on something else to back it up. Could be misinformation; you know how spotty these types of things are."

It was enough to satisfy Shingen, though Hanbei could still feel some outrage at the silence.

"Still, if the Valorans are talking about it..."

"You want me to go ahead and check it out, Lord Shingen?"

Hanbei waited with bated breath while the Terreran only blinked. The Ignite in the doorway was right; the southerner was one of the greatest minds in Ransei. Any man who could trick Kenshin was well worth saving. Of course, Kenshin wouldn't like it; he seemed leery towards the Greenleafer for reasons only he and his partner seemed to understand - but then again, Kenshin also didn't like surprise attacks, night assaults and dancing.

"Yes," the Terreran finally said, arms crossed and giving a hesitant nod. The tactician behind him quietly exhaled. "Bring him back if possible."

"I'll head out immediately," Kunoichi said with a small bow.

"Good," Shingen cracked a smile. "And don't forget to pack some warmer clothing."

Kunoichi just returned the smile and gave an overly-pompous bow before darting past Hanbei. He pulled his coat closer to him to stop it from whipping out in the tailwind Kunoichi's dash had made, and then offered an infinitely more sincere bow to the aging Warlord.

"Thank you, Lord Shingen," he meant every word of it; it had been a very long time since he genuinely felt indebted to someone. Shingen only waved it off.

"An ally that isn't willing to risk themselves for you isn't an ally," he said, turning back to the castle's library. "Hopefully we can get done with this wretched business and go back to living quieter lives."

Hanbei couldn't agree more.

* * *

Mitsunari shuffled his boots awkwardly against the straw-covered floors of Terrera's stable, watching as Tadashi rummaged through the supplies in the saddlebags of his borrowed mount.

He - and Kiyomasa and Masanori - had always been more comfortable with Kazumi. Before it was just because she was the more social of the duo, with Tadashi spending more time training or with the Violighters. But now her memory outright seemed more approachable than her increasingly standoffish brother. Enough that poor Oichi had stopped being the talk of the castle, with the favored gossip instead having become the Auroran's fragmented and increasingly erratic comings and goings. Even if Mitsunari didn't pay much credence to the more outlandish of the rumors he had heard - viscous as some of them were - it was undeniable that his general demeanor had harshened enough to give rise them a measure of credence. To say the young warrior wasn't keen on initiating a conversation with the Warlord was an understatement.

"Why am I the one doing this again?" he whispered to the duo behind him, eyes stuck on the crimson of the Auroran's cape.

"'Cuz you're the best of us at speaking," Masanori said back, barely even making an attempt to keep his voice down. Mitsunari wasn't going to contest that, nor did he get the chance; the Eevee perched on Tadashi's shoulders perked up at the noise and angled its head around to meet them, beady, innocent-looking eyes boring into the trio and nixing whatever time to prepare he had left.

"No turning back now," Kiyomasa said, gently shoving him forward. The auburn-haired kid was tempted to spin around and swat away his hand, but Eevee turning back to face Tadashi and the docile looking Rapidash ended that compulsion as well. He and Pawniard had barely taken two steps forward, straw crunching underfoot, before the Auroran's hands had fallen down to his side and he glided around to meet the group. He only raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"M-My lord," Mitsunari didn't know if he flinched at feeling the Warlord's gaze or over his own stammer, but he forced himself to bow regardless; manners and humility were not his strong-suits, but he felt almost compelled to at this point. Pawniard followed suit.

"Yes?" Tadashi didn't sound annoyed, but his inflection certainly gave the impression of someone pressed for time.

"We've decided to go back to Aurora with Sir Naoshige," the Warlord's features softened somewhat at the name, though Mitsunari only managed to notice after the fact. "He's offered to take us under his wing, and we think we'd be more use training there than fighting here."

Tadashi nodded.

"The three of you have done well to come this far with us, but I can't ask you in good faith to stand on the front lines given what lies ahead." his silvery eyes had begun to drift downwards, below Mitsunari's gaze and to the hilt of the sword sticking out from underneath the trim of his cloak. A second later they were back on the kid standing below him. "Just listen to what Naoshige says and you'll be fine."

Mitsunari duly nodded and Tadashi, feeling that the conversation had run its course, turned back to his saddlebag. The kid in red could hear his friends turn and begin to walk out of the stables, and even Pawniard moved to leave. But something held him back, and it only took Tadashi a second longer than Mitsunari's partner to notice.

"Is there something else?" Mitsunari heard Kiyomasa and Masanori stop and turn back to look at him as well.

"Yes," he found himself saying, mind going back to Naoshige - he had gone to say his farewells to Oichi while they told Tadashi, agreeing to meet up at the castle's east gate afterwards. He doubted that either would be grateful for an intrusion in their conversation, and after Masanori stuck his foot in their collective mouth a few days ago he didn't have the heart to face Oichi again. But he knew Tadashi was close to her. Mitsunari looked back up at the Warlord. "Could you tell Oichi that we're grateful for how kind she always was to us?"

The look of mild surprise that crossed his face was the closest thing to a decisive, genuine emotion that Mitsunari had seen throughout the entire conversation.

"I will," he replied. Mitsunari gave an appreciative nod and bow, turning back to his waiting friends afterwards. For the first time in ages none of them uttered a word upon meeting up, with Masanori and Kiyomasa stepping aside to allow Mitsunari to go between them, following his lead to the opened gate and the dusty-looking Auroran standing beside it. Mitsunari took one look back at Terrera's castle as he stepped out of the complex, and then returned his gaze to the town and rest of the countryside below. It was at that moment he decided that while there would always be a desire to fight, there would always be a need to manage what was left in a conflict's wake.

* * *

Motonari, for once, had trouble putting a specific word to a relationship. Superficially, his interactions with Mitsuhide's daughter amounted to something of a trade agreement: she would bring him a book from Nixtorm's library, and in turn he would help her with the math and history that got foisted upon her by her tutor. But then he would help her make the tea she always brought - albeit Gracia didn't need much help to begin with - and he could enjoy the familiar taste of long-gone springs in Greenleaf. And then they would talk. Mostly he would listen and respond, but sometimes she managed to drag a story out of him. The prisoner usually managed to get a laugh out of her, and Motonari couldn't help but remember Motoharu and Takakage when they were her age. Today, though, the Nixtormite princess seemed to have distanced herself from her usual optimism.

"It's not fair!" the redhead proclaimed mere seconds after teleporting into his room of a cell. The Greenleafer had started to become accustomed to the sudden bursts of light, dimmed as they were to him - another truth that evaded him. Was this how the everyman - those whose blood had not been blessed - experienced the world? Dimly, unable to see the fine details that had defined his every waking moment for the past three decades. Or perhaps, even more macabrely, this was his true self; stripped of the crutch that was the one being he could unflinchingly trust, he had been reduced to his current obsolescence, his core. A shell of a man. And if that was the case, would that mean the everyman had become the true superman?

Perspective infuriated the Greenleafer to no end - it was a useful tool, but not when even he was incapable of discerning the truth from it.

Favoring a more concrete plane, Motonari returned his attentions to the redhead as he heard her stomp over to him. He suspected the floorboards would be host to a number of new scuff marks that would be difficult to cover. But then again, that would be dependent on one's perspective. The Warlord had previously been engrossed in one of many classics he was already intimately familiar with, and just lazily looked up at the princess, calmly folding away his readers into the book's pages as she came to a stop.

"Oh?" Motonari replied with all the understanding of a parent. Gracia just huffed, her grip on the books in her arms tight enough to turn her knuckles white, and that was all the confirmation the Greenleafer needed as to her current predicament. His gaze shifted to the Pokémon standing behind her; Maria had the honor of holding the tea utensils this time around. The Gothorita peered back at him with the same, unblinking eyes as their previous encounters, but she had at least stopped openly scowling at him.

"I don't understand any of this!" Gracia declared, plopping down next to him. The Greenleafer just smiled.

"Somehow I doubt that," Motonari replied with the geniality she had become accustomed to as she let the small stack of books tumble to the floor. "You're a bright young lady, Gracia, this-"

"No," she replied with a surprising amount of force, crossing her arms and looking down in pure disgust at the books at her knees. "I mean, what good will learning all this do me later?"

Motonari let out a breathless chuckle as he scooped up the books. "The math, or the history?"

"What difference does it make?" Gracia muttered as Maria placed down the cups and began levitating the tea kettle.

"Well, one of life's most valuable lessons is what not to do," the Warlord replied dryly, instinctively tightening his grip on the books when he saw the Gothorita generate a Will-O-Wisp underneath the iron kettle. "And fortunately for us, we can observe the errors of others." Motonari's gaze returned to hers, face dropping for the shadow of a second. "And learn from them."

Gracia nodded begrudgingly as he turned one of the books over in his hand. Motonari felt himself staring at the title of it for an unbecoming amount of time, and then quietly moved it to the bottom of the stack.

"Why don't we go over the Heiki Monogatari first?" he said, eyes resting on the title on the tome that greeted him - one far less relevant.

"I don't really like it," she replied sourly. "The Taira are bad, but all the Minamoto end up turning on each other. No one gets a happy ending."

And hence why it was historical material and not purely an epic - but Motonari didn't feel like correcting her on attributing the characteristics of one subject to another.

"Oh?" Gracia just nodded in response to his indecisive remark, tracing a slim finger over the gold-threaded title.

"Family are supposed to look after one another, but the Minamoto don't turn out to be much better than the Taira - so why does papa like to talk about how we're descended from them like it's something good? What was all that fighting for anyways? Things now don't seem to be very different from the time the book describes..."

Motonari blinked, and amidst vaguely registering a faint hissing in the back of his mind, felt a smile slowly cross his features. A truly genuine one - the likes of which he hadn't felt in more than a decade. "That's a _very_ good question. Why do you think that's the case?"

"Is the answer what I need to make Mr. Saito happy?" she said innocently, looking up. Motonari just chuckled, the glimmer of life in his eyes being his only answer. Gracia only sighed and crossed her arms. "I... I guess its because people can't forgive each other?" the princess let out a deflated sigh. "It's easier to pretend anger isn't there..."

Motonari felt his face lengthen, but the smile remained.

"Besides," Gracia bounced back barely a second later, pulling out the book Motonari had stored away for emphasis. "The Amago Monogatari is _way_ more interesting, and Tsunehisa protects his family. And you get mentioned in it!"

"Nothing flattering, I'm certain," the Greenleafer replied, hand rubbing through the back of his messy hair. Her only response was a shrug.

"You can't have a story without a villain," Gracia replied nonchalantly, with Motonari nodding in his quiet way as the hissing grew louder.

"Well, in that case I suppose we can st-" it was at that moment that the hissing grew to a pitch and the Greenleafer finally remembered it. He turned to Maria, still standing silently off to the side, holding the steaming tea pot.

"Ah, Maria, I believe the tea is-" he was cut off as the hissing finally erupted into a high-pitched whistling, a pillar of steam bellowing out of the nozzle and cutting through the air and quiet even after the Gothorita dissipated the ethereal fire. Barely a three seconds of the screeching passed before the doors to Motonari's cell slid open and three guards outside marched in, the fourth darting deeper into the castle and out of their sight.

"Unfortunate..." Motonari said as the kettle stopped billowing. None of the Nixtormites reacted, though it was painfully obvious from the way they were trying not to eye him that he could have very well just brewed his last cup of the drink. Not that he was too perturbed; instead, his immediate focus shifted to the girl sitting cross-legged next to him. Gracia was shaking like he had when he first felt the sting of Nixtorm's cold, and the sudden loss of blood left her features looking as dead as the landscape outside. Motonari's eyes shifted from their peripheries to the scowling, unfocused faces of the warriors in front of him, his only response being to take the book that the princess had dropped in her surprise and place it on top of the messy stack between them. Maria just slowly lowered the teapot down to the floor and moved over to Gracia, placing her paw on the girl's shoulder as if to offer refuge. It was at that point that Gracia audibly inhaled, shook her head and brushed the Gothorita's paw away.

Mitsuhide appeared in the doorframe with half a dozen warriors not a second later, pale complexion so red that it actually resembled the pot next to the Greenleafer. It took barely a moment for Mitsuhide's gaze to narrow in on Motonari, as thin and sharp as the blade now precariously dangling from his hip. And with a mighty heave, he tore his gaze away from Motonari and turned it on his daughter.

"Gracia; room. Now." she stood up, but to the surprise of both Motonari and Mitsuhide, she didn't move.

"No."

The room took a collective blink, while Motonari arched an eyebrow.

"What did you say, young lady?" the Warlord replied, the thinly-veiled surprise in his voice completely disconnected from the growing scowl on his face. Gracia's response was to ball her hands into fists and press his gaze.

"No," the redhead repeated with all the determination her father seemed to momentarily lack. "Mr. Mori's done nothing wrong."

Mitsuhide felt his scowl morph into a grimace, and he bothered to shoot Motonari a murderous glare before he returned attention to his progeny.

"This is not up for debate," the Nixtormite returned, drawing on as much parental authority as possible without seeming domineering.

"No! It's never up for debate because you're always gone!" Gracia shouted back, the heel of her shoe slamming into the wood below for emphasis. That was enough to cause the Warlord to perceptibly flinch, even if for only a fleeting second, Motonari noticed - though he doubted the princess did, caught up as she was in the moment.

"Gracia..." Motonari said, loudly enough for it to register with both Nixtormites but not enough to divert any attention.

"We will discuss this later," Mitsuhide said with as controlled a voice as possible. "I don't know why you are being so stubborn, Gracia, but you are a child and now is-"

"BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT ME!"

That was enough to bring the whole room to a standstill. None of the gathered warriors dared show a reaction: Gracia stood still, shoulders hunched and hands clenched so tight they were shaking. All of the color had left Mitsuhide's face at that declaration: Motonari could practically hear the man's heart break as he opened his mouth in a futile attempt to find words to say. The Greenleafer decided it was time to interfere.

"Gracia," his soft tone cut through the air, and he placed his hand on her trembling shoulder for emphasis. She looked back - eyes bloodshot and teary, and face flushed - and the mixture of regret and shame she displayed so prominently managed to strike a nerve in him as well. But he put it all aside.

"Your father cares for you far more than you can understand right now," he said, shifting his gaze faintly to make eye contact with the distant Mitsuhide. Gracia opened her mouth to object, but he continued with a small smile. "You needn't worry about this old soul."

"B-But you-"

"Have faced worse," Motonari continued, serene voice almost lulling the whole room. "Now," he continued, mild smile not budging. The Warlord picked his readers out of his borrowed book, before delicately placing it and the small stack Gracia had brought into her arms. "Chin up; your father will need your help to keep everyone safe, alright?"

Gracia sniffled and then gave a silent, rusty-looking nod. For a moment she gazed at Maria - still standing silently at their side - as if contemplating reaching over and having the Gothorita teleport them away, only to let out a sigh and turn towards Mitsuhide and the castle guard. She took a shaky step forwards, and then another, eyes down at her feet until she and her partner were within range of the warriors. Mitsuhide weakly gestured for his escort to leave the two of them alone. The warrior closest to Mitsuhide - Toshimitsu, Motonari recalled vaguely - placed a hand on Gracia's back; she took a pronounced step forward, but nonetheless kept sullenly walking until the wall and the figures of warriors escorting her away completely obscured the Greenleafer's vision of her.

Motonari's gaze returned to Mitsuhide: the Nixtormite was clearly in no condition to be taking his head today, and didn't even bother trying to hide it. Or the disgust, loathing, bitterness, pity, and myriad of other emotions that somehow clawed their way onto his unmoving face. Rather he finally brought himself to meet Motonari's sympathetic mien. For a moment the Greenleafer thought the other man would say something from the way he parted his mouth: that only amounted to letting out a weary breath, spinning around, and marching out of the room. The guards that stayed made a point to slam the doors behind him.

Motonari could only nod to his reflection in the steaming water as he turned back to the abandoned teapot.


	43. Chapter 43

Normally, Nene was perfectly fine with visitors. Happy to see them, even: anyone willing to wade their way through dark forests and poisonous bogs for a social call was more than deserving of respect and hospitality in her book. Business was another matter entirely; one reinforcing army would pack the castle enough as is, but two would risk rendering their mobility-based defenses moot. That Masamune had appointed that lecher of a lieutenant as the commander of the Avian expedition made it all the more grating on the Viperian's well-trained nerves.

Still, Hideyoshi was a familiar face, and an altogether uplifting presence. Normally. The news the expatriate brought the Warlord with his arrival slammed into her with all the force of one of Hydreigon's Dragon Pulses. Nene wouldn't have been surprised if Nobunaga would order his partner to actually attack her to punctuate the declaration, had he even the decency to give it in person.

"Lord..." the word sat like a rock in Nene's throat before she could force it, and the bile, out. "Lord Nobunaga has made you the Warlord of Viperia?"

"Yeah..." Hideyoshi replied, almost as sullenly as her. The Ignite somehow managed a small smile as he said it - completely conciliatory, and Nene found herself thinking it was the most sympathetic gesture she had seen in ages. But not even that could lessen the blow as reality started to fully sink in. For the briefest of moments, her mind ran through all the possibilities what would happen to Viperia - to her responsibility, to all those she considered family - in the time to come. And for an even briefer moment, the thought of imprisoning the Warlord before her and passing on information of the Avian reinforcements to the Coalition occurred to her.

"But hey!" the Ignite's cheery exclamation snapped her out of her thoughts, and the brunette then found herself wondering if she showed any of the turmoil currently tearing her gut apart. "That doesn't change anything far as I'm concerned - you're still the Warlord to me."

If Nene's façade hadn't slipped already, it did then.

"What?" she blinked two times too many before asking it, and almost forgot to close her mouth afterwards. Hideyoshi's smile grew a little more upbeat.

"I'm guessin' you know your kingdom better than I ever could," the Ignite scratched the back of his head in an almost sheepish way, smile not budging. Nene didn't know whether or not it was intentional, but it was certainly disarming. "'sides, wouldn't do me any good as a Warlord to immediately ostracize the people I'm supposed to protect."

The Viperian found herself nodding without thinking about it.

"Just think of me as here to help, and keep on doin' whatever it was you were."

Nene blinked as he finished, spared a glance to the column of warriors behind Hideyoshi, and then down to her belt where a number of kunai were stashed away. Brown eyes returned a second later to meet Hideyoshi's empathetic gaze.

"Thank you," she said, quietly enough that only Hideyoshi could understand. Nene then put on her best smile, watching it reflect in Hideyoshi's gaze for a brief second. "You all must be hungry - why don't we head inside and have an early lunch?"

"Aw shucks Nene, you're the best," the Ignite said, his stomach voicing its agreement only a second later. Hideyoshi chuckled nervously, while Nene's giggle was more genuine. "Ya wouldn't happen to have any of that Gyrados sashimi you served us last time, wouldya?"

"I think we might be able to do something about that," the shinobi replied as the two strode into one of the sole sanctuaries in the noxious kingdom, small smile not budging. The war, the politics, the scheming - it could stand to wait for a few hours with good company. For a few hours before the storm.

* * *

Tadashi had heard tales of Cragspur multiple times before. His earliest recollection of the kingdom's name was in some of the story books his uncle would read him and Kazumi when they were children, or in excerpts from some of the history books they had to read as part of their education. Disregarding some of the more fanciful descriptions of the former, they all invariably shared some of the same basic descriptions: a land with mountains as border walls, with every road offering a breathtaking view as it led into the urban center in the middle of the kingdom, where the terrain opened up into enough of a valley to make it possible. The former capital of Ransei - in an older age when Ransei had a kingdom one could actually point to as the center of gravity in the region - loomed not too far away from the city: Cragspur Castle was built on a plateau overlooking the main road into it; close enough to effectively maintain control, but far away enough that it itself could pose as an effective shield against any opportunistic designs on the decaying opulence of a dead age.

Perhaps it was the opulence - decadence, he quietly corrected himself - of that age, or just the unfettered romanticization of it, but Cragspur's castle had always appeared to be grander to him in his mind's eye than the rugged bastion that appeared before him. While an entirely gilded roof would have been beyond the question - at least nowadays - he had expected to see a little more color on the keep than a drab, stony red that made Shingen's garb look positively vibrant in comparison. But as he slowly rode into the outer ward of the keep - leading the second column of the army, the Terrera regiment taking the fore - and was greeted with the sight of faded scorch marks dotting the stone walls, he quickly recalled news of Cragspur's fall to Nobunaga. Sparing another glance back up at the rebuilt keep, shielding his gaze from the glare of the mid-morning sun, he could only find himself thinking not of the tragedy of Nobunaga heralding in a new age by destroying the greatest edifice of the old, but merely what it would have looked like to have seen it as Cragspur's keep crumbled in on itself.

Not that Aurora could possibly hope to hold a candle to the replacement. Was it a sign of how far they had climbed that they were here, or just how far Cragspur had fallen?

Tadashi was thrown out of his thoughts when Eevee, perched on his shoulder - for some reason he found himself musing that Kazumi would find the idea of a Pokémon riding on a human who was riding on another Pokémon to be amusing - reached into their link to give him a mental flick on the forehead. He blinked, noticed the Terreran regiment in front of them had come to a stop, and then gave a silent thanks to the Normal Type as he brought his mount to a halt. Climbing off his borrowed Rapidash and mindlessly handing the reins to a nearby groom wearing the Hojo colors, he spotted Shingen already walking off with Ujiyasu. Sparing a second's glance northwards, and without so much as a glance at the warriors gathered behind him, the Auroran then marched off after the duo.

* * *

With book in hand, and the distant sound of a graciously slow tune coming from Motochika's shamisen, Kanbei found the short spell of serenity and the chance to rest his leg to be a godsend. It only began to dawn on him then how little time he actually had to spend on himself; the past week had been nothing but tactical collaborations with Hanbei and Ginchiyo, training with Lampent, listening to and counselling his best friend, and looking after Kazumi's surprisingly chatty Espeon - albeit he got the impression he was the only other human who could understand her. Hanbei certainly seemed ignorant of her attempts at allaying his guilty conscience, though he seemed to enjoy the Sun Pokémon's presence none the less; and if the way she was napping in his lap was any indication, the feeling was mutual.

"How's your leg?" the other tactician hadn't asked often - if only because he knew incessantly reminding Kanbei of his situation would do nothing to improve his mood, unlike other well-meaning compatriots - and the albino didn't bother to look up from his book on Avian history.

"Better," he replied flatly, flexing his foot and feeling the muscles in his leg tense and groan in response. "Still twinges, but it's easier to walk."

The Ignite then put aside the book and picked up the walking stick resting on the bench between him and Hanbei.

"I think I'll keep the cane," Kanbei said suddenly as he shifted the weathered wood over in his gloved hands, breaking the momentary lull of silence that had fallen between them.

"It suits you," Hanbei replied with a grin. Kanbei just stared back, not knowing what to make of the comment, and then picked his book back up again. Hanbei returned to his hobby as well; with a half-formed block of wood in one hand and a small knife in the other, he continued to chisel away at the wood, careful to avoid getting any shavings onto the Psychic Type below. Kanbei stole a glance at the figurine slowly forming in his friend's hand; he always found it odd that someone so fond of sloth would enjoy something so intensive.

"Hey, Kanbei," the albino blinked, unsure if he had been staring for too long and the tactician in white had noticed. "Do you miss working under Lord Hideyoshi?"

The tactician in black blinked, processed the question, and then felt his brow furrow slightly. "I thought you above sentimentalism."

Hanbei, gaze still focused on the wood below, rolled his eyes before turning to face him, raven eyebrow raised.

"This coming from the guy who just said he'd keep a cane he doesn't need?"

"No point in disposing of something that might be needed again in the future," Kanbei said with a small cough, and Hanbei swore he saw the slightest dusting of color crossing his friend's mien.

"Uh-huh," the one in white replied, doing his best to cross his arms while holding a knife and block of wood. "But back to the question."

"I..." Kanbei blinked and returned to the book with a silent breath. "Confess I miss Ignis from time to time."

"Yeah," Hanbei replied, going back to his woodwork. "I miss stargazing from the castle rooftop. And the Hot Springs. And Lord Hideyoshi trying to dance."

Hanbei smiled as he heard a small chuckle escape Kanbei, who then turned back to meet his gaze.

"What drove you to settle in Ignis, anyhow?" he shrugged in response, placing down the utensils, leaning back and intertwining his fingers behind his head, careful to avoid the tail of the Pikachu sleeping underneath his beret.

"Warlords more than anything, really. I wanted to get away from Spectra and Nobunaga, and the south was the best place for that. Except Motochika already had plenty of advisors and I know next to nothing about naval tactics, Lord Motonari had gone into an early retirement - something he probably misses now more than ever - I doubt Pugilis would've been very receptive to someone who slept in till noon, while Aurora was just a defanged satellite of Violight," Hanbei turned to face Kanbei's gaze, corners of his lips morphing into a wry grin. "And when has anyone important come out of Aurora?" Kanbei felt another silent chuckle, while the other tactician continued. "So that only really left Violight and Ignis. I probably could've fit in well enough in Violight - between Pikachu, Lord Sorin being a reformer, and a new generation coming of age, I could've even worked my way up. But, well, the Otomo had everything going for them them - and Ignis was being led by a farmboy with delusions of grandeur and no previous ties to the Amago. I figured I could do more good there." Hanbei turned, grin returning with a vengeance. "Well, that and the Hot Springs sounded nice."

Kanbei nodded and returned to his book - feeling almost smaller for never having had to think about such - while Hanbei returned to his carving. It didn't take long for the albino to notice his friend's motions becoming slightly more forceful with each stroke.

"Though," Hanbei continued, quietly, audibly driving the blade across the wood. "I guess I find myself wondering what would've happened if I decided to go to Violight instead."

"How much longer do you think it will take for Lord Kenshin's reinforcements to arrive?" Kanbei said after a long blink, gaze not tearing away from the written word. _"She wouldn't want you to be wallowing in regret. Neither do I."_

"Hopefully sometime within the hour. Last thing I want to do is start marching into Viperia when the sun's just starting to set," he replied, losing most of the undue force in his whittling. _"Thanks."_

The two fell back into silence thereafter, only the rhythmic sounds of Hanbei slowly slicing wood, Espeon and Pikachu's shallow breathing, and the occasional turn of the page coming from them. Unlike the other breaks, this reprieve managed to stagger on for a few minutes before very audible commotion from the lower ward forced smashed through their collective concentration.

"Speak of the devil," Hanbei muttered, tucking the knife and figurine away into his coat as Espeon clambered off his lap. Pikachu was just content to twist and pull Hanbei's beret over its head, ears poking out from underneath it like antennae. Kanbei was already by the wall overlooking the secondary ward, book in hand and Lampent floating beside him, watching as the Illusite delegation - headed by Kenshin's apprentice and his garish helmet - settled in with some of the loitering Terreran warriors.

"Nobunaga isn't here yet," Hanbei snorted at the comment.

"He must be if you're cracking jokes," he returned, gazing down as Espeon pawed at this pants leg.

"Should we interrupt their council to-"

"I don't think that'll be unnecessary, Kanbei," the Ignite in black turned away from the wall, following Hanbei's outstretched hand to see the figures of the three Warlords crossing over the bridge leading into the Hojo family shrine. Tadashi was at the front, solemnly gliding across the bridge, the shadow of his helmet casting itself over his visage. Shingen was behind, arms crossed over his bulky frame and the scowl on his face wide enough that both tacticians could see it from across the distance. Ujiyasu walked behind, pipe sticking out of his mouth and cane slugged over his shoulder. Kanebi and Hanbei exchanged a quick glance before silently agreeing on approaching the trio.

"I know this plan is going to end badly, boy," was the first thing they heard Shingen grumble out.

"You do, do you?" Tadashi replied, not bothering to even so much as lift his gaze to respond.

"He wasn't wrong in pointing out the flaw in the previous one, Shingen," Ujiyasu said, flicking the soot out of his pipe and over his shoulder as they drew to closer to the Ignites.

"And hence why I haven't put my foot down."

"Shock and awe has its time and place," the Auroran commented quietly, turning his gaze upwards to meet the face of Cragspur's looming keep. Ujiyasu silently grimaced and Shingen let his arms drop. "And it is not in Viperia."

Hanbei cleared his throat uncomfortably; Shingen and Ujiyasu turned to meet them while Tadashi continued to stare up at the tower.

"Illusio has arrived?" the Auroran asked before Hanbei or Kanbei had a chance to say anything.

"Eh, yes," the one in white replied, nonplussed. "Just a few minutes ago."

"Good," Tadashi said, turning away from the face of the castle and quickly striding past the duo of Ignites. "The sooner we leave the better."

Hanbei and Kanbei wasted no time in catching up with him, though Hanbei did spare a quick glance over his shoulder to see that Shingen and Ujiyasu returned to their own conversation rather than follow.

"Lord Tadashi? Mind filling us in?" Hanbei had a pretty good idea of what had happened, but decided against guessing.

"We will be staggering our attacks," that, at least, did take Hanbei off guard - and much like Kanbei, he opted to not vocalize it. "I will lead the vanguard - the three of us and contingents from Violight, Terrera and Illusio. Fontaine and Pugilis will leave after us and launch a follow-up attack."

The tactician in white blinked, immediately understanding why Shingen was so apprehensive over it - a smaller party would be far easier to isolate and entrap. A party that _he_ \- the only acting Warlord of Aurora - would be leading. But still, the other half of his brain argued, Viperia was a land of forests and swamps; anything much larger than what their lord had decided upon would bog down in it - and be even more vulnerable than a smaller group to begin with. And something as simple as cycling the attacking force would solve both the numbers issue and the possibility of defeat; no one would dare question Yoshihiro's ability to produce results. And more importantly, it wouldn't be a tactic that the Viperians would be expecting. The only real challenge Hanbei could foresee was timing and managing the retreat.

Which would be no problem for him and Kanbei.

"Trying to out-attrition the masters of attrition?" the Ignite finally said, trying not to allow too much enthusiasm seep into his voice; it was a daring plan for a change - if not well-reasoned - and he would be lying if he denied he wanted to see firsthand how it would play out.

"The original plan of attacking from three fronts would be of no use if the Viperians refused to meet us in battle," Tadashi replied colorlessly as they stepped down into the outer ward of Cragspur's castle, where banners from half of Ransei's kingdoms were flying. "Shinobi are predictable in their unpredictability."

"And you expect them to simply fight us in the open like so?" Kanbei replied as nearby warriors quickly snapped to attention upon seeing the Auroran.

"Suspicion comes with the job, yes," the Warlord conceded, turning to face them. Hanbei felt himself subconsciously straighten out his back when their eyes met. "As does being aware of what their opponents are doing. Once the Viperians realize we are alone, they will attack, or we will reach the castle unmolested and they will only be able to rely on whatever defenses they have there."

"I will need to inform the others of the change. We leave immediately thereafter," Tadashi then turned away, cape snapping in his tailwind, and was soon gone within the sea of warriors, Pokémon and buildings.

"He's driven, yep," Hanbei commented absently, using a yawn to hide his disbelief.

"To what end?" Kanbei replied, glancing down at the older tactician. Hanbei looked up, blinked, and then found himself staring at his toes.

"We probably shouldn't be talking about this."

"Please, do," Hanbei nearly jumped when he heard Oichi's voice - Kanbei had the more tame reaction of simply spinning around to find the auburn-haired girl standing a few feet behind him, the blush across her cheeks matching the rosy pinks adorning her outfit, and the white flower in her hair looking as pale as the Ignites.

"I'm sorry," she said, titling her head downwards slightly but still maintaining eye contact with the duo. "But I saw Lord Tadashi and couldn't help but overhear."

The taller of the duo spared a second's glance at the nearby Ghost Type for confirmation - all he got was an indecisive account. Hanbei just shook his head.

"It's fine," he said, deciding against reminding her - like Nobunaga's sister was some sort of child - to come up with better ways to announce herself.

"I- I just..." Oichi frowned. "I agree, Kanbei," the girl said, decisively. The one in black raised an eyebrow. "Lord Tadashi is lost."

"Lost?" Kanbei mused, quietly thinking it was a good word - he heard Espeon telepathically chime in an agreement.

"Lady Kazumi would know what to do," Hanbei sighed out, feeling a pang of conscience immediately afterwards.

"Lady Kazumi always meant-" Oichi cut herself off with a blink, shook her head, and turned. "I'm sorry: you're right. We shouldn't be talking about this."

Much like Tadashi, the Auroran quickly made herself scarce. Hanbei was the first to pinch his nose, looking around for somewhere to sit.

"This is going to be a long day, Kanbei."

And then the horn signaling the march blew.

* * *

Kazumi had been awake when Masamune's lieutenants left with about half or so of the castle garrison under their command; the first thing that came to her mind, watching the flame-illuminated profiles of warriors and Pokémon slip out of Avia's gates in the dead of night, was coming up with some way to contact anyone from her side and letting them know about Avia's movements. Hours later, and after realizing she fell asleep sometime around settling on trying to link with a wild Flying Type, she was roused from her stupor by the door to her cell sliding open. Her breakfast was unceremoniously placed on the entrance by one of the men she had come to recognize as being part of the group guarding her, and the door was closed just as unceremoniously afterwards. Standing up on shaky legs and quickly retrieving her food, she placed the bowl of rice on the edge of her windowless window - a constant reminder of how tantalizingly close freedom was, and the risk involved in pursuing it - and sat down in front of it, jaw in hand, waiting.

A cloud lazily drifted across the sky, a flock of Flying Types she couldn't make out in the distance underneath it.

Kazumi blinked.

They were on the other edge of the Auroran's vision. Kazumi frowned and took a sip from the nearby cup; this was going to be a while.

Who was taking care of Espeon? If Tadashi, would he take the time to brush her fur in the morning? Would Hanbei - or Kanbei, who she seemed to take a liking to - cave in and give her the dango she really shouldn't eat but always managed to get out of the Auroran?

Had Tadashi recovered well? And how was Oichi coping? Kazumi felt a frown try to morph itself around the porcelain of her cup. Even here she hadn't spent much time on reflecting on Nobunaga's sister; on the utter breach of trust between them. Oichi had always been someone who Kazumi was happy to spend time with - on the rare occasion she actually felt the need to engage in idle chit-chat or gossip - and even confide in; but Oichi had never seen her, or even Tadashi, as being trustworthy enough to disclose the secret of her blood to. And her brother paid for it.

Did he?

Kazumi felt her chest deflate faster than Jigglypuff would when Oichi was particularly nervous; it wasn't her fault that Nobunaga was her brother. But was Oichi really so petrified of the fact she couldn't even disclose it to them and trust they would keep it a secret - but how differently would the revelation had gone?

The distant coos of Flying Types brought her back to the here and now. The first place her eyes went to was the windowsill; the rice was still there, untouched, staring up at the flat skies that were notably devoid of any perceivable Pokémon. Kazumi's brow knitted, and realized her tea was as frigid as Kanbei's scowl when she brought it back to her lips. But that was only a lingering thought; sapphire eyes immediately scanned around for the source of the noise and found them not in the air, but in the castle grounds below. Masamune must have dragged the rest of Avia's warriors out into the courtyard below - at least, the ones that weren't busy guarding her - as she could see nearly two dozen or so Flying Types and their partners beginning to congregate around the platforms on the wall, Masamune and Braviary at the front. The gun-toting Warlord was busy giving a speech to his followers, and although she was too far away to make out any of his squawking, she could distinguish all the warriors in the courtyard nodding like their heads were on springs. The Avian concluded whatever he was spouting out by pumping a fist into the air, accompanied by the mightiest roar he could muster; the entire castle echoed with the collective cheers of warriors seconds moments later.

Kazumi took a brief moment to ponder whether or not all this chest-thumping was for her benefit.

Whatever the case, Masamune spun around, threw himself on Braviary, and launched into the skies. The rest of Avia's warriors followed in an admirably military fashion that completely betrayed the earlier scene of them screaming into the sky like some unwashed barbarians, and it was almost enough to distract her from noticing that Masamune and the two warriors who initially took off with him started to lose altitude. Her eyes trailed the Avian's movements, watching the trio sink lower as they lazily glided across the sky until the view was completely obscured by a sea of feathers and banners bearing the Date crest. Kazumi leaned back, exhaled, and then glanced at her breakfast still sitting on the window. The brunette then forced herself away - partly out of realizing that any wild Pokémon would have been scared away by the crowing of an airborne army, and simply because keeping the bowl in sight made her painfully aware of the growling in her stomach - and turned towards the unwritten letter laying next to her cot (getting paper and ink had proven to be as easy as asking for it). Picking up the brush, she found herself staring at the parchment until the first words gradually formed in her mind.

_"Brother,"_ it only then struck her just how odd the notion of having to think about how to write to Tadashi felt. _"First, I want you to know that I'm well - well, well enough. Masamune's been surprisingly generous, but I have no doubts my position could change at a moment's notice. Still, I'm grateful for what room to breathe I've been given, and I intend to use it to its fullest. Please try not to worry too much."_

Kazumi blinked, frowned, and then looked to the bottom of the page. Dipping the brush back in the inkwell, the Warlord took the time to trace her signature before returning back to the actual letter - Tadashi had never cared for calligraphy, but seeing her name dancing across the paper made Kazumi feel a little more in control of the situation. And more importantly, it would let Tadashi know that the letter was genuine. Griping the brush a little tighter, her eyes turned back to the body of the letter.

_"Masamune puts on a show of strength day after day, but I can feel the tension in the air: everyone knows they're running on borrowed time. He's desperate to expand before the snow starts falling,"_ she could practically hear any one of Hanbei, Kanbei or even Motonari loudly voicing their disapproval at the stratagem that came to mind. _"My advice would be to let him and attack Avia while its guard's down: having gotten a good look at the size of his army, it can't be much bigger than Hideyoshi's. A couple dozen more at most."_

The twin turned her attention back to the windowsill, hoping she would see a Flying Type in the distance now that all the squawking had died down. She wasn't disappointed: she immediately made out three. Heading towards the castle. With the one in the center having an ostentatious, golden crescent peaking out between its wingspan. Kazumi couldn't help but raise her eyebrow at the sight of Masamune circling back to the castle - after all that showboating earlier, the idea of him having simply overlooked something in his own home pressing enough to return seemed too incongruous. Almost cruel, in its own way. Not wanting to miss his landing, and maybe wanting to see him stomp about a bit, she dropped the brush and went over to her only portal to the outside world again. The Avian had only just landed when something managed to draw away her attention from that: the sound of a short shout getting cut off into a gurgle coming from outside her door. Her head snapped in its direction; just enough to see the silhouette of one of her guards, slumping down against the wall he always seemed to have his back to, with what was clearly a dagger bulging out of his neck.

Kazumi then did something she hadn't done since she was a young girl: scream. And, as an afterthought, hope Masamune and any other warriors left in the castle heard it.

Trying to keep her breathing level after exercising a pitch in her vocal cords she wasn't even aware she had, Kazumi quickly scanned the room for something to grab. Her eyes fell on the only thing that could be potentially useful, as the outlines of the other two guards quickly shifted to face whatever had put a knife in their compatriot. The Warlord barely had a second to snatch it off the ground and hide it behind the palm of her hand before the towering figure of the assailant appeared on the other side of the door. The guard nearest to her door got in a swing with his spear before he was pulled into a headlock. His body went limp a moment later. The other, she noticed over the pounding in her chest, was also on the ground, a distinctively non-human figure looming over it. Kazumi's mind was too busy racing to even register she had taken a few steps back. The door slid open, and any thought of sparing a glance at the grotesque display in the hallway was dashed by the creature that lumbered through it.

"Hello," Kotaro said, grinning. His Zoroark stayed in the hallway behind him, staring down at the warrior it felled.

Trying desperately not to shake like Whimsicott in the wind, and trying to look away from the ninja's beady eyes, Kazumi drew on every ounce of bearing and nerve she had to keep from completely panicking. He had greeted her - clearly nothing more than a taunt. But he hadn't attacked her then and there. Did Kotaro even know that Masamune returned? The Auroran decided she needed to buy time, and fast.

"Why-" her voice failed for a moment, pulse nearly going with it, but the weak word stopping the ninja in his step gave her enough strength to ignore the ulcer she was doubtlessly developing and continue. "At least tell me why. Why did you kill those men?" that was a bit of a misnomer; only one of trio guarding her could have been older than twenty. She managed to work up the steel to keep her hands from trembling at the thought. "Why me?"

"It was never about _you_ , in particular," the Yakshan replied nonchalantly, stony features softening into something that could be interpreted as happiness. "It just so happened that your brother was the one who turned out a temperamental fool with a hero complex," the fear in her veins began to thaw in the face of a defiant anger over his reasoning. "He alone won't be able to hold Ransei together. Nobunaga's rule won't last long, either."

Kazumi blinked, felt her mouth part in disbelief, and finally heard words tumble out. "You... you _want_ the war to go on?"

"Indefinitely," Kotaro said. "Peace brought about by warriors would be a false peace - and only warriors can bring about peace."

The only response that could come to her mind was the obvious.

"You're deranged."

Kotaro just shrugged, the grin that better resembled a grimace not budging.

"My reasons are not yours to comprehend."

The sounds of distant footsteps echoing down the hallway drew away the ninja's focus - and gaze - for a split second. Kazumi seized the opportunity. Bearing her teeth and drawing upon all her grit, she threw her arm out, and sent the contents of the inkwell flying towards his face. Kotaro's eyes turned back to her just in time to see the blob of black before it smacked into him. The girl threw herself back just in time to avoid a blind slash from the Yakshan that would have doubtlessly tore open her gut, and then put as much distance between herself and her assailant as possible, remembering the dagger stowed away in her armor. Behind Kotaro, who now had the back of his sleeve running over his eyes, she could make out what was presumably the rest of Avia's guard charging Zoroark. The Yakshan spared a second's glance at the sight, eyes clear, gave a snort, and then turned back to the Auroran who had successfully pushed herself up against the wall. Only to turn around again as Masamune charged into the cell.

Through the window.

Kazumi stopped rummaging through her armor momentarily to watch - his Braviary flapping away from the window - as the Warlord threw himself, helmetless, through the opening and landed squarely between herself and Kotaro, sabre drawn. Unusually professional, Masamune didn't bother to say anything, merely take the given opportunity to shore up his footing. She could make out the Avian Warriors beginning to push Zoroark back, while the ninja looming over the one sane entrance merely just raised his clawed hand in response. The two Warlords stared each other down for an hour-long second before Masamune started to take a step forward.

And then more quickly than she though possible, drew one of his pistols and fired. Kotaro, too busy reacting to the feint, barely managed to dodge the bullet. Behind him, Kazumi saw Zoroark flinch as the shot landed close to its head, and was bit by Avian steel in response. Masamune followed up on the disruption by charging forward, edge of his sword aimed for the Yakshan's neck. Kotaro quickly parried the blow - a deceptively weak one, Kazumi thought as her hand finally clutched the elusive dagger - and reared back his spare hand, prepared to tear the claw into Masamune. Only for Masamune to throw out his leg, kicking Kotaro straight in the joint of his kneecap. The lumbering ninja's eyes bulged for a brief second as he collapsed to his knee, but he wasn't about to just let Masamune swing his arm back around and deliver the finishing blow: he threw up one arm to block the stronger swing and then tried to plunge his free hand right beneath the Avian's chin. Masamune slid back to avoid having his throat slit, and the two warlords found themselves back where they began. Kazumi, having hidden her own weapon between her back and the wall, watched as the two played their game of Torchic and felt her stomach twisting itself senseless over it.

Masamune was the first to move. He shifted as if reaching for his other pistol, and Kotaro lunged. Put on the defensive before he had time to make good use of his feint, Masamune barely managed to parry one strike, only for the clawed gauntlet of the other to bite into his arm. He grunted it off and slashed for the ninja's collarbone, only for Kotaro to catch the blade of his sabre in his gauntlet. Most men would have froze; Masamune only twisted himself to the side to avoid having his breastplate pierced, and then pushed harder against the deadlock to free his sword. For the third time Kotaro and Masamune found themselves staring each other down, before the Yakshan decided to lower his arms enough that his posture almost looked relaxed.

"I was expecting more from the famed kinslayer," the ninja growled out. That, Kazumi saw, got more of a reaction out of Masamune than the distinct possibility of being impaled; he actually bothered to snarl. And then charge. The Auroran found herself standing as she watched the Avian charge recklessly at his opponent, bringing her other hand behind her back to unsheathe the dagger. Masamune didn't bother with a feint this time around, angling himself on Kotaro's flank and preparing to cut into his side. Kazumi saw the threat before he did; the ninja caught Masamune's blade again and brought up his backhand to deliver the following blow. Masamune screamed out as steel tore across his armor, being knocked to the floor by the force of the strike, sword flying from his hand and clattering harmlessly against the wall. Kotaro moved to loom over the downed Avian, and Kazumi felt her heart skip a beat - and acting almost on instinct, she rushed forward.

The Auroran felt her head beginning to pound from the rush of adrenaline; she could barely even register Kotaro looming over the downed Avian, ready to deliver the coup de grace. There was only one thought running through her mind as she heaved the wretchedly small weapon over her head and witnessed her vision go black.

_"I don't want to DIE!"_

She opened her eyes when she felt the blade stick as it cut through armor and flesh with a nauseating tear; she had aimed for the nape of the Yakshan's neck and found herself stabbing the dagger into the back of his shoulder. She gulped as Kotaro growled and turned to meet the interloper, eyes completely vacant. She stared back, like a Deerling staring back at the hunter. But before Kotaro had so much as a chance to lift his hand against her, the Avian beneath him reclaimed his sword, and plunged it into the Warlord's unprotected side. Kotaro breathlessly gasped out, scowl breaking down into a frozen look of shock. Kazumi finally stumbled back.

"You're right," Masamune growled, audibly twisting the blade buried in Kotaro's side even deeper. "I've killed worse than you."

Kazumi watched, horrified at finding herself unable to look away even as she grew more and more nauseous at the sight, as Masamune tore out his blade, drew his second pistol, and fired at point-blank range. Kotaro's body crumpled to the floor. Masamune stared down at the Warlord, sneered, and tersely stabbed him with the tip of his sword. He finally turned away when Kotaro didn't react.

"Can never be too sure with that one," he muttered, eye resting on the dagger sticking out of the corpse's shoulder, before looking over at the half-dozen warriors outside. One was busy dislodging his spear from within Zoroark's mane. "Shigezane, Tsunamoto; burn their bodies. Now. The rest sweep the castle."

Masamune didn't wait to get their affirmatives to spin around and grab Kazumi - who was still frozen, staring down at the Yakshan that had mere minutes ago been a breath away from killing her - by the wrist. She stifled the reactionary jump but couldn't help the yelp that escaped her mouth, almost thinking that Kotaro had sprung back up and was at her throat again. But it was just the Avian squeezing her wrist hard enough that her fingers were beginning to go numb from the lack of circulation, dragging her out of her cell and down the hallway fast enough that it was a miracle she hadn't yet stumbled. Kazumi tried to voice some objection, only to find that her mind was still too busy trying to cope with what had just happened to coherently voice anything beyond a pitiful squeak. It was when he turned the corner that led into the stairwell and the Auroran got a good look at something other than the back of Masamune's coat that she finally managed to say something.

"You're bleeding," her voice was pitifully uneven, not being able to come up with the words to say anything beyond the obvious. Kazumi doubted she could figure out what tone would even be proper if she tried. Masamune let go of her wrist - she shook it out in gratitude - and silently proceeded up the stairs. His face was inscrutable.

Kazumi didn't know why she followed him. The thought of bolting down the adjacent staircase then and there, and escaping her remaining captors while they were currently distracted was nothing more than an afterthought. She instead found herself transfixed by the blood slowly dripping out of the wounds running up his left arm. One stair after another faded into the peripheries of her vision, clumsy steps matching her heartbeat, and after a turn she found herself watching as Masamune pushed open a door with his good arm. Any curiosity over why this one room seemed to deviate from the norm and have a door reliant on hinges was pushed aside when Masamune silently ushered her in and closed it behind her: it was his quarters.

The captive didn't know whether to be afraid or relieved at the sound of wood hitting wood as the Avian barred the door behind him, and she took a cautious step back as Masamune shrugged off his shredded jacket and sulked over to the built-in fireplace. Kazumi busied herself looking over his surprisingly Spartan quarters while Masamune struck a fire. A simple cot, a desk cluttered enough that it looked like it had been looted straight from Greenleaf, a portrait of a smiling man in the prime of his life, and little else of note. It almost reminded her of Motonari - the most immaculate person she knew making every room he inhabited look like a tornado ran through a library.

She sat down, next to the cot, and took the chance to finally let out a heavy breath. Sapphire eyes turned back to Masamune when she heard an audible tear; the Warlord had pulled a folding stool over to the fireplace, peeled off his shredded cuirass and was now tearing off the intact sleeve off his bloodied tunic. And in his hand, dangling over the growing fire, was a bottle of sake. And aside from twirling the neck of the bottle, he continued to do nothing but motionlessly stare at the crackling flames with an almost morbid fixation.

Kazumi, only now finally gathering her thoughts and not knowing what to say, just tried to avoid looking in his direction. The twin blinked, looked down at the pillow to Masamune's cot, and saw something with the distinctive sheen of iron poking out from underneath it. She found herself turning a pistol over in her hands seconds later.

It hit Kazumi then and there that Masamune, for all his bravado, was at the very least petrified of something. Paranoia likely wasn't an unreasonable guess, either. And that banality had just saved her life. The thought of turning the weapon on its owner came and went without any particular deliberation.

"You're no killer," Masamune's voice cut through her concentration with enough precision she thought he might have somehow been privy to her thoughts. Her certainly wasn't looking in her direction when she turned back to face him in shock, quickly tossing aside the firearm. He just swirled the bottle of sake again, the bottom doing a pirouette on the flames, before lifting it out of the fireplace and taking a quick swig. He flinched and coughed - the most expression she had seen on his face since driving his sword into Kotaro - and then proceeded to place the torn sleeve at the neck of the bottle and turn it upside down. The Avian hissed as he drew the soaked cloth across the cuts running up his arm - Kazumi only found herself frowning in response.

"Let me help," she said almost mechanically, standing up as Masamune finally shifted to make eye contact with his prisoner, giving her a perfect view of the other slash running across his chest and the bloodstains on his tunic.

"If I needed someone else to clean up some scratches, I would have summoned the physician," he said, frowning deeper than her. The Auroran would have been taken aback if she wasn't expecting it. Masamune just turned back to stare at the flames, shifting the bloodied rag to clean the wound underneath his shirt. The edge that had seeped into his voice seemed to vanish into the fire. "Save your pity for the families of the men who guarded you."

Kazumi blinked, felt her chest deflate, and slumped back against the wall while Masamune went about shredding the rest of his tunic to make bandages.

"What happens now?" she said, after the groaning of fabric stopped. Masamune stopped wrapping his arm to look up - not at her, but at the portrait hanging above his fireplace. A portrait, she realized, of the father he bragged about slaying to a dead man.

"Nothing," he replied, gaze lowering back to the smoldering flames. For the shadow of a second Kazumi thought he was about to sigh. "Nothing changes."

He set aside the sake and continued staring at the dying fireplace. It was then that Kazumi realized she was the captive of another prisoner - and perhaps because of it, she found it in herself to quietly disagree with him. Things had changed significantly; whether or not either of them liked it or even directly intended to, they had saved each other's lives. And she now knew more about Masamune than made either of them comfortable. And those two facts terrified the Auroran more than Kotaro.


	44. Chapter 44

Even in broad daylight, Viperia looked gloomy. It almost reminded Tadashi of Violight.

But whereas Violight was quite happy to flex its muscles for anyone who dared trespass against its sovereignty, Viperia had so far seemed content to let the three dozen-strong expedition march through its swamps.

Seemed, Tadashi reminded himself.

He had little doubt they were being watched, at least. The others were doing an admirable job of appearing nonplussed - Hanbei, Kanbei and Takakage were chatting amiably over the latter's experience in Illusio, and the rest of their group at least looked the part of being unconcerned. He knew better than to believe it was anything more than a show; if not the specter of an ambush, the putrid stench of the bogs would be enough to keep anyone alert. That, he could concede, did not remind him of Violight.

More walking. The chatter began to blend together into an indistinguishable morass that resembled his surroundings all too well. Eevee, a mere turn of the head away, felt like little more than a feather brushing against a stone. He was alone.

"Lord Tadashi?" the Auroran blinked and looked over his shoulder to see Oichi trailing behind him. If she had come to ask him about something actually pertaining to the march, the look that overcame her when the princess saw his visage made her priorities evident.

"I'm fine," he replied, automatically. Oichi only frowned in response, and it was still beautiful to him. "Don't worry yourself over me," Tadashi continued, forcing a small smile and finding it more bearable than it would be otherwise. "There was something you wanted to ask?"

She breathlessly exhaled, hands clasped together.

"We're walking into a trap," it wasn't a question.

"We are."

"Only to exhaust Viperia and then leave."

"Yes."

"And if we can't leave?" Tadashi felt a slight stutter in his stride at the thought, but shrugged it off and turned his gaze back to the slowly widening trail.

"I will make sure that won't come to pass."

"And if you can't leave?" her second question had no effect on his pace.

"Then it will have been worth something."

That did cause Oichi to stop in her steps for a fleeting second, but she merely shook it off and took after Tadashi again, intent on trying a different method of approach. To her surprise, the Auroran came to an abrupt halt of his own, quickly throwing up a hand. The rest of their group followed suit, and Oichi ignored the unsettling quiet that fell over the group by trying to figure out what had drawn the Warlord's attention.

It wasn't particularly hard.

The path opened up into a clearing of sorts; small, and with a number of different roads feeding into it, there was enough dry ground to host their group and then some. And in the center of it, a lone figure was slumped over on a folding stool. Tadashi stretched his leg out cautiously, swiftly sweeping over the ground in front of him as if expecting it to give way to any manner of trap.

"C'mon rival, you really think I'd rely on something like that?" The Auroran's gaze bolted back up; the body was now standing, and was joined by a Monferno.

"Hideyoshi," he replied reservedly, taking a full step forward, and then another, quietly sizing up the exile all the while. His lanky frame was the same as when they last met, but that and Monferno seemed to be the only things that were continuous; the finery he was almost swimming in would have given him an aura of authority had the familiar grin not been on his face, and the golden helmet (resting ever so slightly at a decidedly unprofessional angle) he was sporting seemed intent on making up for all the sunlight that Viperia's forests blocked out. "I don't suppose you're out here to say hello?"

"Well, I'd be happy to trek through any swamp to see Lady Kazumi," Hideyoshi replied, grin growing a little wider and completely oblivious to the sudden change in the atmosphere around Tadashi or his grip tightening on the neck of his sword. The Ignite's eyes quickly swept over the group gathered before them; they fell on his former tacticians and then blinked in disbelief. His eyes then turned back to the Auroran, noting in the back of his mind how Tadashi's gaze seemed sharper and how his armor had been warped.

"Speakin' of which, where is she?" almost instantly, Tadashi felt every head behind him subtly turn in his direction. Every pair of eyes, silently scrutinizing his movements - doubtlessly more than a few expecting him to do something rash. But his mind was focused on another detail entirely.

_"He... He doesn't know?"_

For as much as his instincts were screaming at him that this was some form of trick, the Auroran knew that Hideyoshi was unabashedly upfront. Tadashi let his hand fall back to his side and his gaze soften.

"My sister is currently indisposed," he replied, evenly, but without edge. Hideyoshi almost raised an eyebrow, but pushed any curiosity over the pause to the back of his mind.

"Well," the Ignite replied, spinning around and kicking the stool into the treeline. Everyone ignored the subsequent smack. "I'm guessin' there's no point in beatin' around the bush. Monferno!"

The Fire Type quickly hopped to Hideyoshi's side, staring down the amassed warriors who were too busy casting glances into their surroundings to return the favor. Tadashi just crossed his arms.

"And I suppose this is the part where you boast about how we're surrounded?"

"Nah," Hideyoshi said with a dismissive wave and a cheeky smile. "In fact, I think I can take y'all on by myself!"

"You do, do you?" the Auroran continued, humoring the Ignite with the raise of an eyebrow.

"Yep!" the exile continued as his Monferno dropped into a fighting stance.

"This is rich," Tadashi heard Ginchiyo mutter to no one in particular. He only took another step into the clearing and let Eevee drop from his shoulder.

"So be it. Quick Attack!"

"Dodge with Mach Punch!" Eevee bolted ahead, only for Monferno to use the Mach Punch to vault itself over the Evolution Pokémon with ease, landing a few feet in front of Tadashi. Hideyoshi grinned.

"Now, Flame Wheel!" the Auroran was about to issue another order when he cut himself off as the Fire Type rocketed straight past him, and towards the amassed warriors behind him.

"Spread out!" Tadashi shouted, unnecessarily. Yukimura was either too slow or too confident: Monferno first rolled into his Charmeleon, the Pokémon letting out a hiss as Hideyoshi's partner quickly bounced off it, effortlessly avoiding the retaliatory Fire Fang in the process. Oichi and Jigglypuff were next; Monferno quickly melded back into a Mach Punch without any verbal prompting from Hideyoshi, sending the Balloon Pokémon hurtling into Oichi's arms. A cascade of ineffectual attacks soon followed, with Monferno scrambling into the tree branches above to avoid them. Takakage was about to order his Grovyle to give chase when Hanbei throwing his hand out in front of the younger tactician killed the words in his throat.

"That's what he wants you to do," the Ignite muttered.

"Find where the rest of them are," Kanbei ordered to his partner. Lampent, floating at his side, tipped itself forward in a facsimile of a nod and dissipated into the ether. Kazumi's Espeon, perched on the ablino's shoulder, continued to watch the treeline well after the dual type had left.

"We're playing rearguard this time?" Hanbei nodded at Takakage's question.

"Lord Tadashi needs-"

"Terrera, Illusio; into the clearing!" as if on cue, his voice made itself known over the warriors still ordering attacks in a vain attempt to hit Monferno. Hanbei blinked, nonplussed. "Violight; guard our rear!"

Hideyoshi's Monferno, seeing the barrage of telekinetic energy and electricity stop in favor of frantic movement, quickly leaped from one tree branch to another to get back to Hideyoshi's side, barely dodging another Quick Attack from Tadashi's partner. The Ignite moved back to the fringes of the clearing as more warriors poured in behind Tadashi - only to grind to a halt as the Warlord of Aurora raised a hand. A few quick gestures sent the gathered warriors hesitantly off to the flanks, forming a gallery of caustic gazes as the Auroran moved into the center of the field.

"There's no need to prevaricate around the bush," he echoed, face unmoving. "Quick Attack."

"Counter with Mach Punch!" Hanbei watched with the rest of the army in silence as the Eevee collided face-first with a super-effective attack. To everyone's amazement, it was Tadashi who audibly grunted while the Normal Type just shook off whatever damage had occurred and threw itself back into the fray. Kanbei's hand on his shoulder drew the Ignite's attention away from the battle; he registered Lampent floating behind the albino a second before he opened his mouth.

"There's a group of Viperians half a mile to the southwest-"

"Probably waiting for us to retreat. Any others?" Kanbei narrowed his gaze at being interrupted, but continued.

"Two; another group to the southeast and one making its way from the north."

"Pincer us in the clearing while Hideyoshi buys them time?" Takakage voiced, getting a nod out of Kanbei. Hanbei nodded as well, but stayed silent, sensing in the back of his mind that something was off.

"I'll deal with the ones to the southwest," Ginchiyo declared with all the authority of a warlord, seemingly oblivious to the tactician in white's trepidation. She looked over her shoulder, hand sweeping over a few warriors, until her eyes fell on Muneshige. "Stay here and guard the rest."

"Looking after the army in your absence is what I do best," the other Violighter replied with a garishly short bow. Ginchiyo arched an eyebrow in indignation, opened her mouth to respond, and then quickly shut it in favor of motioning for her handpicked to follow. The smile that came over Muneshige's face as her back turned to him was far more genuine than his bow.

"Might be a good idea to go with them," Hanbei muttered to Kanbei, gaze transfixed on the duel between his former lord and his lady's brother. Kanbei, without so much as a word, then vanished into the treeline with all the ethereality of his partner.

"Lord Tadashi's fighting a lost battle," Oichi commented as Eevee borrowed itself into another hole, only for Monferno to easily anticipate the attack as the miry Viperian soil visibly sunk in the Evolution Pokémon's wake. Easily avoiding what would have otherwise been a nerve-wracking guessing game, the Playful Pokémon knocked the Normal Type to the ground with a well placed Ember, and then set it skidding back to Tadashi with another Mach Punch. Once again, the Auroran was the one to visibly register pain - though this time Eevee did struggle to stand back up.

"I'm afraid you're right," Hanbei finally replied, though not entirely sure about what particular. The girl in pink sighed tiredly, sparing a pitying glance at the half-conscious Jigglypuff in her arms.

Kanetsugu, with a front row seat of the increasingly evasive duel, suddenly found his attention diverted when he felt Kadabra pulling on their link.

"Something wrong?" Yukimura, single-minded as he was, still noticed his best friend visibly flinch.

"I sense... dishonor."

"You sense _dishonor_?" the Terreran said with an incredulous blink, resisting the urge to fill in the vacuum of sarcastic comments left by Shingen's conspicuously absent ninja.

"The mercenary, 'let's get this over with' kind," the Illusite explained. Yukimura looked back at the battle; Monferno was rushing at Eevee with a Flame Wheel, only to trip as some of the ground that Eevee had dug underneath gave way beneath the Fire Type's weight. Tadashi wasted no time in ordering a Quick Attack.

"Could be him."

"We sensed something else entirely from that one," Kanetsugu deadpanned. "Besides, I feel it coming in from our left. We're about to get flanked."

Kadabra then pulled on him again - physically, this time - and the Junior Warlord followed his partner's bony finger to see Ginchiyo and a handful of warriors march into the swamp. Yukimura frowned at the sight.

"Sense anything else?"

"Not... exactly. One of the first lessons shinobi learn is how to hide their presence from psychics. But if there's reinforcements coming in from the north then we need to be wary of the south."

"Think you can handle the right?"

"I'll have to explain myself to Lady Aya if not," Kanetsugu muttered, motioning for the bored-looking Illusite warriors to follow. If either of the battling Warlords noticed the movement behind Tadashi, neither gave any signs of acknowledgement.

"Sand Attack!" the attack was less dirt and more sludge given how swampy the terrain was, and it worked perfectly to Tadashi's advantage, causing Monferno to stumble in the middle of its Mach Punch and horribly miss when one of the blobs hit it in the leg.

"Well fought, but this has dragged out long enough; Last Resort, Eevee!" The Normal Type reared itself up on its hind legs like a Ponyta, cried out its name and rushed forward in a brilliant display of light. Monferno didn't have a chance to react. The sheer force of the impact sent the Playful Pokémon flying above Hideyoshi - who, much like everyone else, was slack-jawed - and into one of the trees behind him. Monferno crumpled to the ground in an undignified heap.

"Monferno!" Hideyoshi cried, rushing over to his partner. "C'mon buddy, I know you still got fight in ya! I can feel it!" Tadashi watched reservedly as Hideyoshi, not uncharacteristically, cheered on a Pokémon who was on the brink of unconsciousness. "Think about how far we've come! Everything we had to overcome; we even gave Lord Nobunaga's Hydreigon a run for his money! We can't - we _won't_ \- be defeated now, and not by rival!"

To the absolute astonishment of everyone watching, Monferno began to respond to Hideyoshi's encouragement.

"That's the spirit!" the Ignite shouted as the Fire Type, flinching and on wobbly legs, still managed to stand upright and let out a raspy battle cry. Tadashi felt disgusted with himself as he weighed his options.

"Quick Attack; don't give them a chance to recover," the Auroran muttered, opting to stare at his boots as Eevee rocketed off.

"Counter ATTACK!" no one thought anything of Hideyoshi shouting the last word. Tadashi forced himself to look back up; Monferno, with the few precious seconds it had, chambered its fist in what he recognized as a Mach Punch but refused to moved. And then, at the very last second possible, threw itself to the side and brought up the attack, letting Eevee charge headfirst into it. The Normal Type was sent flying back to Tadashi by the force of the impact, creating an indentation in the swampy ground when it landed. Tadashi didn't need to reach into their link to know that Eevee wouldn't be getting up for a comeback - he was too busy looking between it and Hideyoshi, who looked like he had just taken his first swig of water after running a marathon.

And then, as if to rub salt into the wound, Monferno was suddenly enveloped in blindingly white light. Everyone watched, gobsmacked, as the figure morphed and grew a good foot and a half in height. The newly-evolved Infernape let out a triumphant roar, the flames dancing from the back of its head exploding out as the Pokémon pounded its chest.

It was an attention-grabbing spectacle; enough that Kanetsugu almost didn't feel the alarm go off in the back of his head.

"Reflect, Kadabra!" the Psychic Type surrounded itself in the luminescent barrier seconds before the attacking Crobat - a deadly combination of speed and silence - sunk its fangs into Kanetsugu's partner. Kadabra shrugged off the attack, teleported out of Crobat's clutches, and calmly fired a retaliatory Psybeam even as a barrage of additional Poison Type attacks came out of the treeline towards the Illusites.

Tadashi's shaky gaze darted over to the other flank; Hideyoshi's company was charging the Terrerans.

"Let's give 'em everything we got!" Hideyoshi shouted, rushing back into battle with his partner. Tadashi, still shocked and feeling almost nauseated over the amount of vigor that his rival displayed, retrieved his downed partner and quietly faded towards the back of the field with the rearguard as the battle got into full swing. Only once he let himself rest at the base of one of the myriad trees dotting the landscape did he notice that Oichi - and Takakage and a couple of Violight warriors - had rushed over to help Yukimura and Terrerans hold off the Ignites.

_"Forced to fight because of my failure,"_ the Auroran forced his gaze on the Evolution Pokémon in his lap, trying to reach back into their link. That he could sense out the Pokémon at all while it was unconscious was a testament to the strength of their link - and that still hadn't been enough. _"But it was the plan to fail, wasn't it?"_

"Hanbei," the tactician was one of the four warriors who had stayed in the rear, and was the only one within earshot. The tactician's head snapped over to the Auroran when he heard his name, clearly having been lost in his own thoughts. "What's the situation?"

Hanbei's eyes swept over the field; Nene and the Viperians were being held at bay by the handful of Illusites - in a weird game of Torchic involving copious usage of Teleport and Double Team - but Hideyoshi had clearly gained the upper hand over the left flank. The tactician was about to reply when he caught sight of Oichi amidst the crowd; she was squaring down Hideyoshi by herself. The Warlord ordered a Mach Punch; her Jigglypuff managed to ensnare it with a Sing before the attack could connect. Hanbei decided against mentioning the sight of the Balloon Pokémon unleashing a Rollout against Hideyoshi's sleeping partner.

"We're losing ground, but it's not unsalvageable. Kanbei and Ginchiyo took some of the rear to deal with an ambush; they should-"

"You're not bad for a bookworm," both Warlords turned to see the two characters in question emerging from the treeline, the rest of the rearguard behind them. Only about half the Pokémon with them looked in fighting shape. "Violight could use an actual tactician."

"Someone has to get Hanbei out of bed every morning," Kanbei replied with a small smile, loud enough for the tactician in white to hear. He then reached up and scratched the Espeon on his shoulder - its fur splattered with specks of mud - behind the ear. "And while I believe Espeon also wouldn't mind the offer, I hear you already have a lapdog."

Ginchiyo let out an audible chuckle; Muneshige visibly blinked in response, silently wondering if the fumes from the swamp had managed to get to his Lady's head.

"Nice of you to rejoin us," Hanbei murmured as they came to a stop, Ginchiyo sparing a quick glance at the slumped-over Auroran behind him. "Anyways, Lord Hideyoshi pulled an evolution out of his-"

The sound of a deep, blowing conque booming out from within the forest cut him off. The pause it created in the melee was short lived; a company of Flying Types shot out of the thicket, followed by their warriors yelling out commands of all sorts. The only man to not rush into combat - a battle that was now swiftly turning against the Coalition, with both their flanks having to fight on two fronts - was clearly the leader of the group, shell horn in one hand and a musket slung over his shoulder. Hideyoshi in particular seemed to take interest in him, breaking away from his battle with Oichi as Avians rushed to fill in the gaps.

"Took ya long enough!" he shouted over the din of the battle. Magoichi shrugged.

"Was waiting for Group C to pounce!" the mercenary shouted back, almost nonchalantly, motioning for his Grovyle to join the fray.

"Avia's here? Of course they're here," Tadashi growled, squeezing his eyes shut and reaching further into his link with Eevee. Time seemed to slow; he felt the Normal Type stir at his prodding, tapping into their pooled strength to force itself to stand up. He felt the familiar tug of pain even as the commotion and mania of the background began to fade to the back of his mind, giving way for the clarity his Warrior Skill provided. He quickly ran over the facts available to him: Avia had reinforcements lying in wait. They had forced the Viperians to play their hand by revealing that, and the defenders had already lost a fair amount of their fighting capacity to their bait and switch. But Avia brought the Flying Types, and trying to manage a retreat with them giving chase would be near impossible. And most importantly, Hideyoshi - who had proclaimed Nobunaga as his sovereign - was unaware that Avia had kidnapped his sister. The Auroran frenetically scraped together a plan of action - he could feel his partner balk at the audacity of it, and he mentally pleaded with the Pokémon to trust him. The Pokémon let out a verbal affirmative, scampering out of his lap as Tadashi stood.

"Muneshige."

"My lord?" the dandy snapped to attention as the Auroran spared a glance at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Run ahead to warn Yoshihiro and Motochika about Avia. Ginchiyo; begin organizing the retreat. We've accomplished what we set out to achieve."

"Sir!" the two warlords of Violight bolted off in opposite directions, the remaining warriors of Violight following Ginchiyo. Tadashi's attention turned to the two tacticians left behind.

"The two of you and Kanetsugu will form the rearguard; delay them for as long as possible," the two nodded, and Tadashi turned back to the now steadily approaching mass of warriors as the fallback order was heard. He made out the top of Oichi's hair amidst the throng of warriors and immediately felt both a pang of guilt and his resolve stiffen; Avia had already taken his sister, and Tadashi was not eager on seeing how they would react if they recognized Oichi as the sister of Nobunaga.

"One final thing," he began, taking a look back at Hanbei as he silently stepped into the shade of the forest. "Trust me. If not for my sake, then for Kazumi's."

Hanbei exchanged a tentative glance with Kanbei and looked back; Tadashi was gone. The one in white just pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Heads up," Kanbei said as the left under Yukimura broke off from the battle completely, stampeding past the duo while Violight and Illusio covered them.

"Use Agility, Pikachu," Hanbei muttered, preemptively, as the handful of Violight warriors began a slow retreat to cover for the Illusites. Espeon hopped down from its perch on Kanbei's shoulder. It wasn't until a thin wall of white-clad warriors were all that were separating the two tacticians from the combined forces of Ignis, Viperia and Avia that Tadashi announced his presence. Literally.

"Vultures of Avia," the bellow from behind the defenders was strong enough to get every warrior to stop fighting and most of the Avians to even turn around, clearly incensed at the term. More importantly, Tadashi thought, he got Hideyoshi's attention.

_"Is he... Oh legends, he is,"_ Hanbei thought in dismay, waving Kanetsugu over when the confused Illusite looked back at them. He obliged, silently motioning for his comrades to take advantage of the break in the fighting to teleport over to the straggling Violighters and then away, while he joined the tacticians.

"I am the Warlord of Aurora," Tadashi continued from his spot at the edge of the clearing. "If you desire to end this war, then come and take me!"

The Auroran, with a grandiose twist, then lunged into the cover of the Viperian swamp. Magoichi grit his teeth, weighed his options, and then turned back to the front.

"You four; after him!"

"End the war by capturing him?" Hideyoshi whispered pensively and quietly enough that only Nene, standing next to him, could make it out. The Ignite blinked in something resembling an epiphany, and put a hand to his chin as the battle began to resume. "I wonder what Lady Kazumi would have to say about that?"

The familiar shout of 'Thunder Wave' immediately drew him out of his doldrums and back to the battlefield. Despite being unable to see over the heads of the amassed warriors, Hideyoshi could still make out the spillover from the paralyzing attack, along with the sweep of a Fire Spin.

"Ah! So _that's_ where they were," the exiled warlord motioned for his Infernape to follow as he forced his way through the morass of warriors. "Rearguard duty. Clever, rival, clever; playing from the bottom of the deck. But I still got a trump card..." Hideyoshi then cleared his throat.

"Everyone; hold up! HOLD FIRE!" the battle stopped immediately at the sound of his flighty voice being pushed to its limits in pitch, and the few warriors blocking his path made way to let him and his partner through.

"Lord Hideyoshi," Hanbei said with a small smile, giving a half-mocking bow. Kanbei's face remained unmoving and Kanetsugu raised a leery eyebrow.

"Good to see you too Hanbei," Hideyoshi replied with a wider smile. "Y'all've put up a really good fight; you're free to go. I don't think we're in a position to give chase anyhow."

Hanbei's face scrunched up - a sight he usually reserved for surprise, a rarity in of itself - in a way that told Hideyoshi he saw it for the admittedly subtle pin it was. Kanetsugu did not.

"Thank you," the Illusite replied with a bow, interlocking his arms with the tacticians before they had a chance to object. "I'll make sure to mention your generosity to Lord Kenshin."

"That's a scary thought," the Ignite muttered as the trio teleported away, and then put on a winning smile when he faced the befuddled warriors. "All right everyone, crisis averted!"

The cheer that went out as Hideyoshi walked through the crowd was almost deafening, and it still was music to his and Infernape's ears.

"We actually did it!" Nene said, smiling ecstatically as she ran up to meet him. "I could hug you right now-" Hideyoshi's face grew as red as Infernape's, and he held his shaky arms outwards. The Viperian's smile took on a coy edge. "If there wasn't the threat of a second wave arriving any minute."

"Heh," the Warlord let out the breath he was holding in with a deflated laugh, letting one arm drop to his side and the other go underneath his helmet. "Good point; a little too early to crack open the bubbly," Hideyoshi turned to the Junior Warlord of Avia, standing to the side and clearly being entertained by the display. "Speakin' of which; Magoichi, why don'tya escort the wounded back to Viperia castle? In the time it takes the Coalition's reinforcements to arrive and fight their way there, they'll hopefully be in fighting shape."

He nodded. "Wounded; with me!"

"Ya know, Nene-" Hideyoshi began, watching as Magoichi and about a third of the warriors slinked down the path leading to Viperia's castle.

"Thinking about paying Masamune a visit once we're done here?" he nodded.

"To thank him for the help, of course," the Ignite added on hastily, scratching his chin. He blinked, turned around, and found his second-in-command giving advice to some of the other warriors.

"Hey, Koroku!" the burly man in question hobbled around. "Get someone to recall those warriors who're chasing rival!"

"Sir!"

_"I know it wasn't easy, Tadashi, but thank you for putting your faith in me."_

* * *

Stumbling out of the forest was a blur for Tadashi. His head pounded, his heart pounded, sweat rolled down his face with impunity and his muscles and lungs burned. The only measure of time available for how long he had been running through the Viperian bogs was that the mid-afternoon sunset had given way to the moon. He continued running even after his pursuers had been recalled - and thoroughly thrashed in hit-and-run tactics over the course of what had to have been a few miles - relying on tree roots and the occasional stone to avoid getting stuck in the mire. He had set his destination southwards towards Yaksha, using the sun as a compass to avoid the possibility of stumbling upon a patrol or another group searching for him. As the Warlord finally slowed his sprint into a sluggish jog and then to a lethargic trek, he began to appreciate how truly exhausted he was from continually drawing upon his Warrior Skill during their escape; every shallow breath began to feel increasingly heavier.

He tripped as his knees, with a protesting pop, finally gave out. Eevee cried out its name as it leaped from his shoulders - Tadashi threw his arms forward to support himself. The Auroran opened his mouth to reassure his partner; instead, like he had just been punched in the gut, he felt the bile in the back of his throat force itself out as he coughed. The pit in his stomach grew when he realized it was blood.

"I... I'm fine, Eevee..." he wheezed out, before letting himself collapse into the barren soil of Yaksha with a roll and another thick cough. "I just... just need to catch my breath."

That was punctuated by a whimper.

_"Pathetic!"_

He flinched - be it from the pain, the shame, or the growing dizziness, he didn't know. Eevee bounded to his side, pawing him in a futile effort to give him some measure of comfort. He managed to lift a hand, which felt like about as lifelike and flexible as a brick, and place it on the Evolution Pokémon's head in a pathetic facsimile of a pet. This time Eevee reached into their link, and before he could object he felt the Pokémon trying to support him with its strength. Reluctantly, he acquiesced, and felt his head begin to clear and feeling return in his extremities. Tadashi sat up with a slow inhale, appreciating the sensation of the crisp night air, and being able to breathe without tasting blood.

"Thank you," he muttered, crossing his legs and giving the Pokémon a scratch behind the ear. The Normal Type yipped approvingly and worked its way back into his lap. Trying to steady his breath, the Auroran settled for gazing at the one landmark Yaksha could currently claim; the moon. It would have been a beautiful sight in any other kingdom; here, where it was said to be fuller and larger than elsewhere in Ransei, it only illuminated the absolute desolation of the kingdom with a fragile silver light.

Fragility was in the nature of the moon he reminded himself; it was little more than a shadow of the sun. It was not vibrant enough to chase away darkness - so it had made peace with it. And then the sun would rise, and finish what the moon could not.

_"And yet,"_ the voice in the back of his head reasoned. _"The moon always returns. The sun blinds: the moon reveals. The lone beacon in the night."_

Tadashi apprehensively nodded, quietly agreeing there was a certain honor to it, and looking down at his partner.

"Eevee," the Pokémon looked up, face inscrutable, but he could tell it had been paying attention to his mental debate. "Would you like to evolve into an Umbreon?"

He could practically see the gears in the Evolution Pokémon's head churn, and after a few pensive moments, it shook its head in the negative. Tadashi nodded, and decided he agreed.

He needed to be stronger - but strength not achieved through work and shrewdness was not strength. It was a clutch - and evolving Eevee now would be a betrayal of that decision. And of the seven evolutions that Eevee could achieve, Glaceon was considered the rarest - if only because of how difficult it was for most people to reach. In his heart of hearts, he knew that it would be the final kingdom they reached before Dragnor; and even the strongest of drakes were wary of ice. _That_ would be the ultimate expression of their determination, of everything he and Eevee had endured together. And in that, he would be more than a mere shadow of his sister.

"A Glaceon then?" Tadashi asked. Eevee chirped approvingly, having listened to his mental debate, and the warrior felt their link strengthen ever so slightly at the renewed resolve.

Tadashi realized his error a second too late.

The luminescence of the moon seemed to intensify; Eevee erupted with the glow of silvery light as its body began to morph. Tadashi felt his breath hitch as he scrambled to remember how to stop evolution - but it was over too quickly, and his new Umbreon stared back up at him in visible shock. Tadashi stared back into his partner's eyes, now as red as blood moons, and hung his head with a heavy sigh.

"Then I am nothing."


	45. Chapter 45

This had to have been the most awkward seven or so hours of her life, Kazumi thought.

It was hard to tell if Masamune had actually fallen asleep or was just resting his eye as he ruminated on whatever he had been for the better part of the day. She had just waited in the corner of his room she had carved out for herself, occasionally watching the rise and fall of his chest and debating whether or not to unbar the door and try to escape. In the end Kazumi let herself nod off as the exhaustion and emotional strain of nearly being assassinated finally catch up to her.

The sounds of heavy thumps shook her out of the stupor. It took her a second to realize they were against the door and not her skull, and another belated moment to detect there was a pattern to the rasping.

"How did my father die?" Masamune growled out, loudly, as he sat upright in his chair - between still trying to figure out if he had also nodded off, Kazumi realized he had directed the question at the door.

"Shot through the right eye," Magoichi's voice answered from the other side. Masamune forced himself to stand up, visibly wincing as still raw wounds rubbed against the ragged, bloodied bandages wrapped around his torso, and staggered over to the door. Through the residual veil of drowsiness, Kazumi could see him holding a pistol behind the back of his leg as he unbarred the door. The disturbed visages of his lieutenants and a few other warriors greeted the Avian, and visible shock crossed both Magoichi and Kojuro's faces when they saw Masamune. The Warlord just let the pistol drop to his side in plain view, waved off the gathered warriors, and stepped to the side to let the duo of Junior Warlords in. Magoichi caught sight of the Auroran out of the corner of his eye and shot her a sympathetic look. Kojuro was more straight to the point.

"That was an incredibly reckless ploy, my lord," Masamune rolled his shoulders indifferently, spared a glance at Magoichi and then jerked his head towards the door before staggering back over to the chair by the fireplace. The flames - the only source of light in the room, bar the waning sunset and the lantern Kojuro was clutching - had been reduced to a few crackling embers.

"Nothing worse than my other escapades, Kojuro," the Warlord replied indifferently, sitting stiffly and letting out a weary breath.

"None of us want to see you put in a coffin again, sir," the retainer returned, catching notice of the empty bottle of sake and the blood-soaked remnants of Masamune's tunic. "I'll send for the physician."

It wasn't a question, and the bespectacled warrior turned around before Masamune had an opportunity to argue. Masamune frowned, but sighed.

"Call for the cook while you're at it," to Kazumi, it sounded like the Avian wanted to shout it but simply couldn't work up the force of will to. He then turned his attention to Magoichi while the Auroran silently wondered what Kojuro had meant by 'again'.

"Report," Masamune said tiredly.

"We stood our ground. They came at us in two waves - we got pushed back to the castle in the second but Nene and the new guy were able to hold out."

"New guy?" Masamune said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Nobunaga's latest general. Story is he just showed up in Dragnor with his band looking for employment, and Nobunaga was so impressed he put him in charge of defending Viperia."

Kazumi saw Masamune's face visibly darken.

"Disturbing. Anyone who can impress Nobunaga-"

"Actually," Magoichi began, in the first instance Kazumi had seen of the Avian letting someone interrupt him. "If I had to guess, I'd say that Nobunaga was more entertained by him than impressed."

"What?" Masamune spoke for both himself and his prisoner, visage dropping.

"He's... special. Imagine if someone put a monferno in a uniform, gave it an army and it turned out to be a competent commander."

_"He... he can't be talking about Hideyoshi, can he?"_ Kazumi thought, silently blinking in disbelief.

"I think his surname was Hashiba?" Magoichi continued, scratching at the stubble on his chin.

_"Zekrom, he is."_

"The Warlord of _Ignis_?" Masamune said in disbelief, sparing a quick glance at the Auroran in the corner before looking back at his lieutenant.

"I wouldn't know," the mercenary replied, almost sheepishly. "But he and Nene did say they wanted to come by tomorrow to thank you."

The Warlord of Avia blinked, let his mien fall into an icy façade and leaned back into his chair.

"Then this can work out after all," he finally said, after a few good seconds of silence, with Kazumi quietly nodding in agreement. Masamune's good eye then went back to Magoichi. "Anything else?"

Magoichi blinked, spared what Kazumi thought was almost a pitying glance at her, and then turned back to Masamune. "He's even more reckless than the rumors say."

Kazumi didn't need to ask for clarification - she knew he was talking about Tadashi, and she felt her heart begin to sink into her stomach at hearing it.

"Good to know," Masamune said, not paying her any heed and with a surprising lack of malice in his voice. "Dismissed. And escort her to a different room."

Magoichi nodded and turned to Kazumi; she was already staggering to her feet, feeling faint from hunger and the strain of the better part of the day. Aside from passing Kojuro and an elderly man as they came out of the stairwell, the rest of the journey to her new cell was a blur. Magoichi pushed the door open for her, revealing a room that had an actual bed and other amenities. Kazumi took a step forward, but then stopped in the doorway and turned back to the mercenary.

"Is Tadashi safe?" it was, in hindsight, not the smartest way to go about addressing the concern gnawing away at her gut. Magoichi, perhaps out of some sense of pity or remorse, let out a quiet sigh before making eye contact with her.

"We lost sight of your brother," short of hearing that he had been killed, it was perhaps the worst news Kazumi could have heard about Tadashi. Even hearing that he had been captured would have been better for her sense of mind than having his status be in doubt - at least then they could escape together.

"Thank you," she replied breathlessly, hearing the door close behind her as she stepped into the room, wringing her mind for a way to contact Hideyoshi. The sight of a water basin and towel sitting inconspicuously atop the dresser drew her out of her thoughts and over to the ceramic. The sensation of water splashing against her face chased away the last vestiges of grogginess. Drying herself off, the Warlord let out a weary sigh as she collapsed on the bed, crossing her legs and staring down at the floor.

_"Tadashi..."_ Kaumi forced down a gulp, realizing how parched she was when she felt it burn against the back of her throat. _"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't be there to help, I'm sorry I put you in this position to begin with, I'm sorry I can't even be there to-"_

"Tell you..." the Auroran finished aloud, suddenly remembering the letter she was in the middle of writing when Kotaro had decided to attack.

_"There's nothing in it that will help Masamune - except my signature."_ her gaze turned to the sliding door; the silhouettes of two guards were visible against the paper, and she let out a deflated sigh. _"Waiting game it is. They'll have to rotate eventually."_

It didn't feel like a long wait, at least. The door to her room slid open again - it was impossible to tell how long she had been watching it, except for that the light pouring in from the window had visibly shifted to the fringes of her room - and Kojuro stepped into the gap, arms folded behind his rigid back and looking almost awkward from how stiff his shoulders were.

"Lord Masamune requests that you join us at dinner."

Kazumi suddenly found herself mimicking Kojuro's posture.

* * *

Two things struck Kazumi the moment she stepped into the private dining room presumably reserved for Avia's warlord: the fact that, in spite of the fragrant scents of a wide variety of herbs and food, there was an underlying sense of mustiness to the room - like it was some family heirloom that Masamune kept hidden away, only blowing off the accumulated dust and using it when he had to. The second item of interest was the table itself, with four of the six seats lying vacant.

Masamune, sitting at one end of the table with Magoichi to his right, looked up from his cup when he heard the door open. His eyes met Kazumi's and she nearly stopped in her tracks. The sight, to her eyes, was beyond surreal: dressed in something resembling finery while devoid of both his armor and any visible bloodstains, he actually looked domestic.

"Take a seat," while holding some measure of courtesy, much like his previous invitation, it wasn't an option.

"Very well," Kazumi replied reservedly, deciding on taking the seat at the end of the table, opposite from the Avian - Masamune looked almost amused over her choice. Kojuro took the chair to the left of Masamune, putting a respectful distance between the Auroran and the rest of the table.

The tension was palpable, but Masamune showed no signs of letting it effect him as he continued his meal. Kazumi looked down at the food arrayed across the table, and found her gaze falling upon a Swanna, cooked to an appetizingly perfect gold, at the center of the table. Seconds later her plate was full and she was eating voraciously without a care in the world.

Manners be damned: after a week of practically nothing but rice, the taste of meat made her feel alive again.

Kazumi then blinked self-consciously, realizing how she doubtlessly looked to her captor, and forced herself to swallow. Whether Masamune's small grin was over her behavior or her attempt to save face, it grated on her regardless. With noticeably more self-control, Kazumi reached for the cup and lifted it up to her face. The bitter scent of sake met her nose. Almost as if he was challenging her, Masamune lifted up his glass, tipped it towards her, and then took a hearty gulp. The Auroran responded with a cautious sip, remembering her faux pa in front of Shingen and Ujiyasu. The incongruity of the sight of someone who had been, mere hours ago, coughing at imbibing a bit of hard liquor now downing it like the portly warlord of Terrera was brushed off with another quiet sip on her end.

It burnt like distortion going down.

"Tell me about the southern kingdoms," Masamune said after placing his cup down, eye betraying no intent. Kazumi only blinked.

"Violight's usually glum," she began cautiously, thinking through her words carefully. "There always seems to be a thunderstorm on the horizon; a clear day is like snow in Ignis. But it's thrived, even in the face opportunists."

Magoichi blinked, while Masamune cocked an eyebrow and took another sip from his cup.

"Do go on," the Warlord said, humoring her with a small grin. "It pays well to know future conquests in advance."

_"So that's what this is about,"_ the Auroran thought, almost dully. "You want to unify Ransei?"

She had the presence of mind to state of obvious as a question, and was the only one at the table who seemed surprised when Masamune shook his head in the negative.

"Not unify. Conquer," the Avian replied. His features narrowed ever so slightly as he gave his prisoner his undivided attention. "I have no delusions about being some great icon the entirety of the region can rally behind, and I will not settle for anything less than knowing that - one day, by my blood and sweat - Avia's banner will fly over every castle in Ransei."

"You're only one man," Kazumi felt compelled to give some form of reply after a good minute of doing nothing but just staring back.

"And so was Nobunaga," Masamune replied, the grin returning to his face. "Before he became a god."

"A god so distant he doesn't seem to want to leave his tower in Dragnor," the Auroran continued, noticing but not caring about the anxious glances Magoichi and Kojuro were exchanging. Masamune stifled a chuckle.

"I'd wonder why myself, but I'm too busy carving out my own domain to care."

Kazumi set her utensils down on her now-empty plate and allowed herself a moment to fully process what she had just heard. When the Auroran decided against saying anything, Masamune nodded - to himself or her, he didn't quite know - and turned his gaze to Kojuro.

"Kojuro, could you escort our guest back to her room?" the Auroran almost allowed herself to frown - part of her mind wishing she had dragged out the conversation just to indulge and have a second plate - but settled on the same indifferent, bland-as-rice demeanor that she greeted him with. She had already shown more emotion in her dealings with the Avian tonight than she cared to.

Masamune's bespectacled lieutenant just nodded in a similar fashion and stood, not bothering to make eye contact with her as he opened the door.

"Oh - one more thing," Masamune said offhandedly, right as the captive warlord was about to step through the doorway. Kazumi turned around, long ponytail nearly whipping Kojuro, just in time to catch the object that the Avian threw at her. Kazumi turned it over in her hands and was shocked at what greeted her: the blade she had stuck into Kotaro hours earlier - the crest of Terrera that was emblazoned across the scabbard staring proudly back at her - with the letter she had been writing to Tadashi tied to it. Her sapphire eyes darted back up to Masamune; he seemed perfectly unaware, having returned to his meal, while she could feel the collective undercurrent of surprise from both his lieutenants. Deciding against risking further antagonizing the one-eyed warlord, Kazumi gave a short but genuine bow and took her leave.

Masamune downed the last of his glass of water when she and Kojuro were out of sight. Magoichi coughed unsubtly.

"You sure that was wise?" Masamune frowned into his mouthful of food and then swallowed.

"I have to gain her trust," he finally replied, almost bitterly. "And after what happened today I think it might actually be possible." the Avian let out a heavy breath. "The circumstances around Kotaro's death will considerably... accelerate things."

Magoichi stayed silent, always dancing a fine line between being completely unable to comprehend his long-time employer's plans and being on the cusp of understanding what Masamune would have assured him was absolute genius.

"Kotaro came alone - I'm going to guess that means Yaksha has no warriors left to it. If that's the case then we can snag it easily and immediately after conquering Cragspur, and that puts us in a stronger position at the negotiating table. And even if we do hammer out a deal, I'll still need someone around who won't feel compelled to stab me the moment they see my face."

"And that's going to be the warlord you kidnapped," Magoichi deadpanned. The corners of Masamune's lips tightened and he spared a glare at the mercenary out of the corner of his eye, but continued.

"Then there's the matter of Viperia..."

"How do you want to handle that?"

Masamune blinked and then felt a small, self-assured smile spread across his lips.

"Our Yakshan friend might have about as much use in death as in life."

"Zero times one is still zero," this time Masamune angled his head to make full eye contact with Magoichi. The mercenary, trying and failing to wipe away his small smirk, just raised his hands in acquiescence. The Warlord shook his head wearily and let out a sigh.

"Thank you for trying, Magoichi, but I've already had enough backtalk for the night."

"Why _did_ you go through all the trouble of setting up the dining room just to have her play Renegade's Advocate, anyways?" Magoichi blinked and said after a moment of silence.

"I can't just tell her what I'm planning - but if I can at least put forward the idea, then maybe it'll ferment."

_"So that's why you gave back the letter,"_ the mercenary thought in the back of his head.

"Still," the warlord of Avia continued. "It also confirmed what I've suspected: she's not one to hold grudges."

"But there's another reason, isn't there?" Magoichi intoned, having long suspected another ulterior motive. Whatever Masamune's response would have been to the question, it was preempted by Kojuro opening the door to the dining room.

"I'm retiring for the night," Masamune announced as authoritatively as he could without sounding harsh. Kojuro bowed, not betraying any intent of questioning his lord. Magoichi pursed his lips but new better than to press the issue.

"Make sure the room is presentable for our guests tomorrow," the Avian commanded as he strode out of the room, not bothering to look back.

* * *

"Use Psybeam, Maria!"

Motonari - from his place in the corner of Nixtorm's training room, seated next to a guard who was doubtlessly under orders to skewer him should he try anything - watched the unfolding battle between Mitsuhide's daughter and Nobunaga's visiting page with more interest than Mitsuhide. The redhead was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as her partner conjured and released the beam of psychic energy at the Lucario opposite to her. The Aura Pokémon clutched the ethereal bone it had generated moments ago, swinging it into and batting aside the attack as it rushed forward under Ranmaru's orders. Maria dodged by using Telekinesis to launch itself over the Fighting Type; the Lucario rolled out of the way of the retaliatory Psybeam.

Motonari speculated Mitsuhide only allowed the battle to please his daughter - who seemed to have a disconcertingly upbeat outlook on them - just as he doubtlessly had permitted the Greenleafer's presence at her persistence. The warlord of Nixtorm was seated in the back of the room with Gracia's official educator, quietly watching the battle unfold with a deceptively calm visage. But despite Mitsuhide's best efforts, Motonari could still make out how his eyes slightly widened when Lucario bludgeoned the Psychic type with Bone Rush, and how he uncomfortably shifted forward when Ranmaru's partner leapt over the Gothorita, landing precariously close to Gracia herself.

_"A calm face to mask a turbulent heart,"_ Motonari thought with something bordering outright pity. _"In another life, Mitsuhide, you would have been a formidable opponent."_

"Time!" Toshimitsu shouted from his place at Mitsuhide's right, not a second after Maria had been shot out of the borders of the arena by a point-blank Aura Sphere. That Gracia's partner happened to land a few feet away from Motonari was happenstance - one that Mitsuhide would have groaned about in private. Gracia dutifully followed Maria's trajectory, helping the Manipulate Pokémon back to its feet.

"You know," Motonari commented offhandedly, gazing down at the Nixtormite princess with a reassuring smile. "Telekinesis can be used offensively, too."

The redhead blinked, and the captive warlord could practically see the gears turning behind her emerald eyes before they lit up with understanding. She nodded and rushed back to her place opposite from Ranmaru, her partner Pokémon adopting a battle stance in pantomime of Lucario's.

"Begin!"

"Calm Mind, Maria!"

"Metal Claw!"

The sight was almost poetic; a Psychic Type, eyes closed and hands clasped, seemingly oblivious about its Fighting Type opponent charging forward, blade-like claws brandished and aimed at its neck.

"Telekensis, quickly!" Gracia's command came not a moment to soon: Maria's eyes, glowing a brilliant blue, shot open a second before Ranmaru's partner was about to slash into its target. Instead the Aura Pokémon let out a startled yelp as its mental defenses were quickly overpowered and it was - in Motonari's mind, almost comically - flicked into the air by its haunches, slamming into the ceiling with an audible grunt. Lucario's bloody eyes, then squeezed shut, shot open just in time to see the Psybeam charge into it. Lucario was finally released from its pin against the ceiling when the barrage from the Psychic Type stopped; somehow the Aura Pokémon managed to push itself back up. Ranmaru clenched his hands.

"We aren't about to reflect badly on Lord Nobunaga! Aura Sphere!"

"Future Sight!" Gracia exclaimed, watching anxiously as the ball of pure auric energy shot across the field at Maria. It was impossible to tell if the Nixtormite's order had been executed: the Gothorita was only able to raise her hands for a few brief seconds before the ball of brilliant blue smashed into the Psychic type and shattered both her concentration and poise.

"Quickly Maria; Teleport!" Mitsuhide's daughter shouted, watching Ranmaru's partner charge forward with another Bone Rush while hers tumbled across the battlefield in a broken heap. Whatever damage had been done, Maria managed to shrug it off long enough to gather her focus and teleport away before Lucario could bring its club down. The Ranmaru and the Fighting Type frantically gazed around the battlefield; Ranmaru lurched back when the Manipulate Pokémon rematerialized only a foot or two in front of him, still on its back. Lucario spun around and charged again, flipping over one Psybeam and batting aside another with the Bone Rush. With a practiced precision, the triumphant Lucario wasted no time in heaving the Bone Rush overhead to deliver the finishing blow on the Psychic Type below.

Only to be sent flying by a sudden explosion of Psychic energy from the ether.

Ranmaru grunted, Gracia's eyes lit up and Motonari let out a quiet chuckle.

"Use Psybeam Maria!"

"Detect!" Lucario - sent flying by the Future Sight and struggling to stand - stepped to the side of the beam a mere second before it hit at hearing Ranmaru's voice.

"Telekinesis!" Maria had already telepathically grabbed the weary Lucario before Gracia finished her order, and as if to literally rub Lucario's face into its defeat, knocked the Aura Pokémon headfirst into the middle of the passing attack. The sound of the Fighting Type letting out another pained cry echoed off the walls for a second, followed by a softer thud as it collided with the pad below. This time, much to Ranmaru's visible disappointment, it didn't try to stand back up.

"Lucario is unable to battle; Lady Gracia and Gothorita are the victors!" the victors let out a simultaneous sigh while Ranmaru sulked over to his bested partner. Gracia quickly joined him, and together the two got the Lucario back on its wobbly legs.

"That was a really good battle, Ran!" Gracia exclaimed, either oblivious or unperturbed by his forlorn mien. The Dragnovian looked up and despite himself found a smile of his own in response to the princess' beaming.

"Thanks," he replied, quietly but not ungraciously. "We've been training nonstop to beat you - though I guess we'll have to keep trying."

"You could ask Lord Nobunaga for help in training, right? He gives papa advice all the time!"

It was at that point that Mitsuhide stood and, with enough restraint that he only looked hurried and not desperate, strode over to the duo.

"I would be happy to train with you myself, Ranmaru, after we've concluded more official business."

Between the way Mitsuhide loomed over the oblivious Gracia and him gripping his belt where his sword would be, were he wearing it, Ranmaru got the message. The Greenleafer in the corner could only raise an eyebrow, as his wrists were bound again and he suspected that trying to extricate his hands would result in quietly losing them.

"Of course, Lord Mitsuhide," Ranmaru turned and offered a bow to the victor before stepping aside with Nixtorm's Warlord into one of the hallways. "Lord Nobunaga wishes..."

"Lady Gracia," Toshimitsu intoned as he approached the princess, his softer tone drowning Mitsuhide's and Ranmaru's fading voice. "We have other subjects we need to study today, too."

The redhead looked none too pleased, but nodded and then did an about-face to catch sight of Motonari, who was currently being lead away by his assigned guard.

"Thanks for the help, Mr. Mori!" his guard stopped long enough to let him look over his shoulder and smile back, getting a few seconds of her bubbly waving before she left with her educator and he was guided back to his cell. Barely a moment passed after the rope holding his wrists together was gone and the door was shut that Motonari set about planning out his next interaction with Mitsuhide, whenever that might be.

The sound of the door sliding open cut off those thoughts.

_"Already?"_

"Your lunch, sir," came and went the voice of one of the castle servants before he even had a chance to turn around and get a good look at her. Normally part of him would have been disappointed that something so mundane had shaken his concentration, but something familiar about her voice nagged at the back of the Greenleafer's mind. Motonari picked up the tray she left behind, intent on mulling over it as he ate, only for something even more uncanny to grab his attention: barely visible but clearly there, the corner of a slip of folded paper stuck underneath his bowl of rice. Sparing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure the door was closed as he sat down, Motonari leaned over the tray like he was making to eat as he produced his readers and unfolded the paper.

_"Play along if you want to escape?"_ Motonari blinked and folded his glasses back into his collar. _"How droll."_

Deciding to just that, the Warlord did the most cloak and dagger thing he could think of; he quietly folded the note back up and ate it before getting on with his lunch.


	46. Chapter 46

Tadashi, from his place standing on the mountain pass that would lead down to Cragspur's castle, refused to let out the sigh that tried to force its way past his lips at the sight of the monumental castle.

His sister had, while he was unconscious and bedridden, easily broken into eastern Ransei and stormed Cragspur and Yaksha. Without her he failed, _miserably_ , to prove himself on the first chance he had to stand on his own - Tadashi could just imagine it now; the derisive whispers of how he wasn't even half the leader his twin sister was - and likely had succeeded in convincing his allies and his own army that he had been captured in a suicidal fit of self-sacrificial recklessness. That he would be showing up unexpectedly at the castle of said allies, looking and smelling like he had spent a week in some dungeon, in the middle of the night did little to encourage the Auroran.

But he refused to run away, and staring off into the moonlit distance accomplished nothing.

_"Pride before a fall,"_ Tadashi thought, allowing his eyes to linger on the outline of Cragspur's castle for a second longer. Distantly, beyond its massive towers, he imagined he could make out the southern reaches of Avia as well. He turned back to the path, partner faithfully at his side.

"Let's go, Ee-" Tadashi cut himself off, this time not being able to hold in the sigh after a second of futile resistance. Were it not for the moon or the faint, golden light emanating from the Dark Type, he wouldn't have been able to watch his breath materialize and then vanish into the ether. "Come, Umbreon."

His partner didn't verbally respond; Tadashi suspected it was more out of the Moonlight Pokémon not wanting to hear its own name based language than respect for the circumstances. Not a thought passed through their link as they made their way through the pass; the echo of earth crunching underneath his boots was the only sound to accompany them through the shadows of the mountains. With Umbreon at his side, the Auroran could easily see through the veil of darkness - only to perceive nothing worth noting as he continued to stagger forwards.

That changed when he got within view of Cragspur's gatehouse.

Illuminated in the shadow of one of the braziers, was the unmistakable figure of Oichi. She was seated atop a nearby boulder, slumped forward, motionless, and clutching Jigglypuff like the Pokémon was a pillow she could hide behind. The sight sent a brief cascade of emotions through Tadashi, and he found himself standing motionless, at their mercy, for an eternity that lasted too long.

_"She... she waited..."_ the words sunk down into Tadashi's stomach, and he allowed his gaze to follow as his legs started moving again, bringing him to the side of Nobunaga's sister. He barely took notice of the key lying next to her, focused instead on the shallow rise and fall of her shoulders. _"I'm sorry to have failed you as well."_

Tadashi reached out, wavering hand held in limbo as his mind strained between waking her or joining her - and which would be more dreamlike. His hand dropped, deciding for him. Tadashi rolled his aching shoulders, straightening out his cape - miraculously one of the least dirtied objects on his person - as he undid the clasps holding it and draped it around the sleeping girl. He was freeing his hair from the confines of his helmet when he heard the half-yawn, half-frantic realization.

"L- Tadashi!?" Tadashi sighed and let the helmet hit the ground.

_"Can't even do a kindness without it backfiring..."_ he sank down to the rock below while Oichi, realizing she was shaking, let go of her partner and wrapped herself deeper into the cloak hung around her. Tadashi couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze, even as he felt her eyes straining on him.

"I'm sorry..." he didn't bother specifying over what. "But please don't endanger yourself for my sake, Oichi."

He could practically hear her lips twist into a frown.

"While I watch as you try to throw your life away?"

The acerbic comment cut deeper than any blade could have - through every possible obfuscation he could have thrown up and straight to his heart - but Tadashi grit his teeth underneath pursed lips.

"And it's worked, hasn't it?"

Oichi blinked, mouth parting but no words coming out. Tadashi finally turned to face her; his face might have been unreadable, but his gaze was beginning to shake.

"Everyone _is_ watching me - and not you, not for the faintest sign of treachery," the auburn-haired girl didn't bother to try closing her mouth, and Tadashi allowed himself a grim chuckle. "The Avians, too. They likely think I'm little more than a vengeful fool. Perhaps so. But all the better for me regardless."

"You can't save Lady Kazumi by sacrificing yourself, Tadashi," Oichi replied cautiously, after a brief second of stunned silence. He only chuckled darkly again.

"Now when has my sister ever needed my help?" another terse silence followed, broken by Oichi letting Tadashi's cape drop from her shoulders and onto the stone below.

"What do you want, Tadashi?"

He blinked, looked up at the moon, and then looked down at his feet to shield his eyes.

"It's late," the Auroran replied, almost whispering. "Now's not the best time to talk about this, Oichi."

"No," she replied quickly, grabbing Tadashi's wrist with so much force he couldn't hide the surprise that crossed his face. Tadashi fully turned his gaze to meet her auburn eyes, and found in them an open, adamant determination that stirred some sense of longing in his heart. "Now's the _only_ time."

They remained in their deadlock for what felt like hours to Tadashi, her hand still clutched around his wrist as if her life depended on it. As if his did. And then, before he could react or prepare, another bout of coughing overcome him. The warlord buried his face in the joint of his elbow just in time to avoid Oichi being able to catch a sight of the blood escaping his lips. She just let go of his wrist to place a hand on his shoulder as his breathing steadied. Tadashi dropped his elbow, let out a heavy breath, and rested his arms on his legs.

"I'm tired, Oichi," Tadashi finally choked out, weakly, as he rose on shaky legs. His arm felt like a brick as he brought it back to his side, and he turned to look back at Oichi, still sitting. "Very, very tired. And I want to rest."

The girl let out her breath and pulled her hand back to her chest, not being able to bring herself to argue with someone who looked as piteous as he did. Tadashi, for the shadow of a second, seemed almost saddened that she capitulated. Stiffly, he reached down and grabbed the key next to her, and then offered her his free hand. Hiding a sigh, she wrapped his cape around her shoulders again and slipped her hand into his. Tadashi looked down at his partner as Oichi stood, the Dark Type having been indistinguishable from the darkness around them, save for the dim illumination of its inner light. The Auroran slipped his hand out from the girl's grip and retrieved his discarded helmet.

"Come, Ee- Umbreon," Oichi's eyes trailed the Moonlight Pokémon as it followed the Auroran over to the gate. She looked down at her partner, still miraculously asleep: it would evolve with a Moon Stone, she had been told, but Umbreon were said to draw their power directly from the moon itself.

"Eevee evolved?" it was more of a statement, and an admittedly desperate one.

"What is evolution?" Tadashi sighed out as he unlocked the gate and opened it for her. Oichi didn't bother trying to answer as she trudged past him and into Cragspur's castle. Their walk through the dimly lit courtyard and hallways was silent, save for the echoes of their heavy steps. Tadashi finally stopped as they reached her rented room, his colorless face illuminated in the pale glow of a nearby latern. Oichi lifted his cape back up and Tadashi, with a barely noticeable hesitation, took it.

"Sleep well, Oichi," he said, with something approaching hoarseness, before turning deeper into the hallway and allowing his figure to be consumed by the shadows. Oichi only reached inside her sash and pulled out the rose that Tadashi had given her not so long ago, holding it up into the flickering light for a better view: the immaculate, porcelain white of the petals had browned and crinkled and some were missing outright, but the bloodstain was still just as visible. She frowned, tucked it back into her clothing, and slid the door open.

"I won't," Oichi muttered as she casted one final glance in the direction Tadashi had went.

* * *

Infiltrating Nixtorm had been easy enough; between the heavier clothes she had packed and Sneasel, no one had paid Kunoichi a second glance as she made her way through the kingdom's only city. Infiltrating the castle had been more difficult, but as long as she had looked busy, and kept on the peripheries of the other servants, none of the guards were too interested in her comings and goings - which let her keep track of theirs. And in the day and a half she had spent quietly watching the movements of Nixtorm's warriors, two bits of information came to her attention: that the change between the night and the daybreak shift was the most sluggish, and that there were practically no patrols during it.

Even if it was a more generous timetable than some of her previous jobs, it was still a timetable, and Kunoichi took what little professional pride she had in being reliable.

"Mornin'," she said as she slid the door to Motonari's 'cell' open, not bothering to try hiding her central accent. The man inside - she barely recognized the Greenleafer through the beard - sleeping sideways on his cot, shot up and eyed her quizzically before recognition kicked in.

"Well," Motonari began, stifling a yawn and rubbing an eye as he sat upright. "I must admit, I didn't anticipate my rescuer being so overt. I was expecting you to come through the window."

"If Nixtorm Castle wasn't coated in Nevermeltice, I would have," Kunoichi replied as she and Sneasel dragged the limp body of the guard - unfortunate enough to have been assigned to guarding the Warlord that morning - into the room. Motonari eyed the scene with visible disapproval.

"Chloroform," Kunoichi clarified, catching the Greenleafer's glare in the corner of her eye. Motonari let his mien relax as he stood, back audibly popping as he twisted his torso.

"Anyways," the shinobi said as she dropped the unconscious warrior onto the cot the Warlord had been occupying mere seconds ago, her voice carrying a previously unheard seriousness to its register. "I already have an escape route planned out, and the quicker we move the better."

"It wouldn't happen to take us by Lord Mitsuhide's quarters, would it?"

That lackadaisical question did manage to take Kunoichi off guard, more than nearly being discovered by the departing night watch. She blinked, instinctively ran over the layout of the castle in her mind, and then realized that the question - or, rather, what she thought he was going to ask - was beyond the pale, even by her standards.

"Yes, but-"

"Oh, nothing of the sort," Motonari preempted, quite literally waving away the accusation of planning petty revenge as he produced a small note from his pants pocket. "But I feel it would be improper to leave without so much as a farewell."

The ninja blinked, eyes going between the paper - folded so as to prevent even a single figure from being visible - and the strategist's inscrutable visage, and let the corner of her lips tug into a small frown. Had she more time, Kunoichi would have allowed herself to appreciate the irony. "Fine, but let me handle getting it into his room."

"As you will," Motonari replied, handing the note to the shinobi and then apprehensively poking his head out the open doorway. Not a soul in sight. His gaze returned to the Terreran. "Lead the way."

* * *

The moment Mitsuhide found out what had happened - and, much to his humiliation, he was not the first - the Warlord issued a gag order on the whole castle. Trackers were quietly sent out in what he knew would be a vain attempt to recover his prisoner, while he sat in his quarters, staring at the note that had been left on his desk. Had he the sense of mind, Mitsuhide might have found the power that one slip of paper held over him to be disturbing; but he was too transfixed on the splotches of ink to have any room for self-reflection. It wasn't a particularly long message by any stretch of the imagination, either - merely a single sentence, in fact.

And it still held him by the throat.

_"A man of your caliber is underserving of the circumstances that have forced themselves upon you: I will pray for your release."_

Mitsuhide wanted to tear up the note and throw its scraps into the fireplace, but some unseen intuition kept his hands firmly clinched around it. An intuition he blindly obeyed, like he always seemed to.

"Lord Mitsuhide?" the sudden appearance of Toshimitsu in the doorframe prompted an almost mechanical, automatic reaction in the Nixtormite: he quickly perked upright in his seat and placed the slip of paper on the desk, facedown, greeting his retainer with a professionally soulless stare.

"Yes?"

"All of the scouts we sent out have returned, sir. None were able to find them."

Mitsuhide sighed, although he couldn't even bring himself to sound exhausted in that.

"Very well. Get Lapras ready; I will apologize to Lord Nobunaga in person." The warrior bowed, but Mitsuhide held up his hand before the other man could turn around. "If I do not return within two days, assume the worst."

Toshimitsu frowned in understanding, bowed again and left. Mitsuhide let himself slump back in his chair.

* * *

Kazumi looked down at the complete letter, feeling a sense of catharsis in seeing her handwriting spread across the entire paper. The last section - put last, as it was right above her signature - she hesitantly added in, but the ideas of Masamune's ambitions and uncertain loyalties were worthy enough gossip to pay mention to. The Auroran then folded it away into her sash, taking a second to run her thumb over the ridge to make sure that no corner was sticking out.

_"And now... what?"_ the Auroran wondered idly, sinking down on the bed. Kazumi wrung her mind for something to preoccupy her thoughts with, and didn't find herself wont for long: the memory of sitting slumped against the wall of Masamune's quarters, getting an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of his existence flashed across her mind's eye. One detail in particular had lodged itself immovably into her conscious; the mention of Hideyoshi. Not only how he had _somehow_ managed to work his way into Nobunaga's inner circle in the span of a few weeks at best, but that he intended to pay her captor a visit _today_. And for the first time in her life when she genuinely hoped to get the chance to see her brother's self-proclaimed rival, she was physically incapable of doing so.

In her frustration, Kazumi let her eyes wander to the window - and the view she saw let another idea crossed her mind.

_"Am I?"_

Almost believing it to be another cruel joke, the Warlord strode over to the window and, with something between caution and excitement, peered out. The window of her previous cell had only afforded her a view of the courtyard and, distantly, Avia's town. But now, even against the glare of the sun, she could clearly make out the path leading southeast; the road into Viperia. A front row view to Hideyoshi's approach. Jubilation made way for the inevitable internal counterpoint - even if Hideyoshi found her absence in their invasion of Viperia conspicuous, there'd be little reason for him to believe that she was being kept under lock and key in Avia. And certainly no way of her being able to make contact with him. Unable to keep looking out with the sun beating down on her face, Kazumi turned around and was nearly blinded by a sudden burst of light in her direction. The Auroran clenched her eyes shut, stepped away from the open window, and then caught a glimpse of what had flashed her:

Her maedate, lying inconspicuously in the middle of her armor, reflecting the sunlight pouring through the window.

Kazumi blinked, looked at the window, and then back at the ornament. Pushing aside the feeling of sheepish stupidity that washed over her for not thinking of something so obvious sooner, she quickly snatched up the headpiece, scuttling over to the window and cautiously shifting the gold in her hands, watching and wincing as the sunlight danced in response. Kazumi's eyes returned to the road below, and as if on cue, she could distantly make out a panoply of warriors riding leisurely towards Avia.

_"It's worth a shot."_

* * *

"Ach," Hideyoshi grunted, suddenly recoiling in his saddle and shielding his eyes. That brought their group to an abrupt halt, and Nene - riding next to him - quickly placed a hand on the Ignite's arm to stabilize him as he used the hand not covering his face to bring his Ponyta to a halt.

"Sir?" it was one of many comments in response to his sudden outburst, but it was the one Hideyoshi responded to.

"Someone's flashing somethin' at us from the castle, Koroku," the exile cautiously dropped his arm and went rummaging through the saddlebag of his mount, producing a telescope and lifting it up to his gaze. A second after identifying the source of the light, the Ignite lowered the spyglass, blinked, and looked through it again. Nene raised an eyebrow when he sighed and let his hand drop back to his side.

"So, that's what rival was trying to say..." the Ignite blinked and remembered the ninja riding next to him. "Seems Masamune is holding Lady Kazumi captive."

"The Warlord of Aurora?" Nene practically exclaimed, her eyebrows furrowing in a barely-controlled rage that Hideyoshi had come to respect, incongruous as it was. "That's despicable! No wonder her brother is as desperate as he is - he's probably being played as badly as we were."

"Tadashi reached out to me for help..." Hideyoshi muttered grimly, storing away his telescope and flicking his wrists to spur his mount on. The Ponyta began to trot forward, and the Ignite noticed the flashing had stopped; the prisoner had doubtlessly watched him come to a stop, and didn't want to risk her captors catching notice as well. "And I knew nothing about this - I'm guessin' Lord Nobunaga didn't, either. This was Masamune and Masamune alone," he returned his attention to Nene, who was nursing the Crobat perched on her arm. "Masamune hasn't openly betrayed us _yet_ \- and we're not stooping to his level. But we can give her the means to escape."

Nene nodded, hazel eyes shifting to her partner. "Play unaware, then?" rational as the comment was, the Viperian's voice still dripped with disgust.

"I don't want to have to explain to Lord Nobunaga how I was the one to pass up a golden opportunity, and there's no telling how Masamune would react if we do anything more... So yes." Hideyoshi then grit his teeth and put on a winning smile, turning back to Nene. "Well, at least I happen to have the best ninja in Ransei to help."

Nene found it in herself to smile back, but lifted up the arm with Crobat perched on it. "The best partner in Ransei, you mean."

Crobat beamed, and Infernape - behind Hideyoshi and atop its own Ponyta - rolled its eyes.

"Heh, good point," Hideyoshi said, before quickly forcing any joviality from his face in favor of a more lukewarm friendliness suited for the castle they were fast approaching. Nene produced a small, unlabeled bottle from within her own saddlebags, handed it to Crobat with a sent a silent command, and then lifted up her arm to let it fly off before they were within full view of Avia's sentries. A few handful of minutes was all the time the Viperian had left to prepare for meeting the One-Eyed Dragon, as they already halfway up the winding trail to the castle before she got the distant mental affirmative from the Bat Pokémon that it had successfully snuck through whatever defenses Masamune had in place. The Warlord in question, to Nene's surprise, wasn't there to greet them at the gates: the mercenary he kept on retainer was. Magoichi bowed as the two warlords and their select entourage came to a halt, and then gestured for some nearby warriors to take their mounts to the stables as they dismounted.

"Afternoon, Lord Hashiba, Lady Nene," he said, his eyes staying on the latter for a second more than she was comfortable with.

"G'afternoon, Magoichi," Hideyoshi replied amicably as Infernape sauntered over to his side, voice not betraying the slightest inkling he was onto the game. "I hope our coming hasn't inconvenienced Lord Masamune."

"It'd be hard to after yesterday," Magoichi replied with a grumble. Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow, but quickly flattened it when the Avian's gaze lifted. "Anyways, Lord Masamune's waiting for you," the mercenary continued, beckoning the two Warlords into the keep. Hideyoshi counted four flights of stairs they had walked up - if memory of the cursory glance he had served him, Kazumi was somewhere on the floor below - before the Warlord led them down a hallway and into a small, yet ostentatiously decorated dining room. Nene audibly flinched and he himself nearly grimaced at the sight of Masamune.

"Please, take a seat," the Avian Warlord said reservedly from his spot at the end of the table, weakly holding out an arm encumbered in blood-soaked bandages - bandages the two visitors could also clearly see poking out from underneath his finery. Hideyoshi noted that they seemed to have dried as he took his seat, pretending to be interested in the feast spread out in front of them, while Nene said a quiet thanks to Kojuro for pulling out her chair for her before taking his place behind the Warlord of Avia.

"What happened?" Nene asked for both of them - and Hideyoshi could tell that it was out of a genuine concern. Masamune grimaced, almost as if he was trying not to be proud about the circumstances of his injuries.

"An assassination attempt," he replied, tone bordering on the irreverent side for its subject. Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow in morbid curiosity, quickly coming up with a shortlist of scenarios through a mouthful of food, while Nene just gaped. The Avian beat her to the punch. "Kotaro."

"Kotaro..." Nene uttered, face betraying her that her thoughts were a mixture of disbelief and forlorn acceptance.

"Regrettably, yes," Masamune continued with a small nod, pausing afterwards to take a sip from his cup. "Even worse, however, is that his betrayal leaves us further vulnerable."

Hideyoshi quietly nodded, less in agreement with Masamune and more to validate his own suspicions. The Ignite's gaze turned to the Viperian across from him; the sympathetic shadow that had gathered over Nene's mien refused to part, and Hideyoshi found himself resisting the urge to sigh. Nene had many admirable traits, and unfortunately about half of them were unsuitable for her position.

"I had hoped we'd be able to talk 'bout strategy," Hideyoshi spoke up for the first time, remembering last minute to swallow before addressing the Avian. Masamune's gaze turned away from his prey to him; there was a flicker of annoyance across his face before it faded away in favor of an affability that, despite clearly being well practiced, looked out of place on the Avian.

"Good," he said, gaze shifting from the Ignite back to the Viperian. "I believe we can all agree that sitting around and letting Aurora eliminate us one at a time has proven to be entirely ineffective."

"A joint attack on Cragspur, then?" Hideyoshi replied, raising an eyebrow through another halfhearted sip.

"No," Masamune replied, much to the surprise of both his guests. "They outnumber us significantly for one - all they'll need to do is gather their forces behind Cragspur's walls and they'd be untouchable. It might work if we had more allies to pin them down in Cragspur while we marched into Yaksha and Terrera, but we don't and Lord Ieyasu made it clear to me that his orders only extended to defending Avia."

Hideyoshi, not liking where the Avian was leading the conversation but unable to find any fault in Masamune's analysis, frowned as if he was concerned about the severity of the situation and nodded.

"The only chance we have of being able to obtain a lasting victory here is by isolating and picking their armies off one at a time, and in short succession," the Warlord of Avia let out a heavy sigh, like he genuinely regretted what he was about to ask. "For that, I'll need Viperia to be the bait."

Nene frowned in turn, clearly seeing the poised dagger behind his words. So Hideyoshi hoped. But there was an unspoken understanding between all three Warlords seated at the table that Masamune needed be cooperated with if any of them wanted to advance their goals, nevermind that Viperia would have fallen without Avia's help, and so she voiced no objections either. It was instead Masamune who made the next noise, letting out an uncomfortable grunt as he shifted in his seat. Nene followed suit.

"We've already tipped our hand in pooling our resources, and they'll expect us to do so again. That will be their downfall: Shingen, undoubtedly, wasn't the one who came up with the previous plan of attack on Viperia. He'd take full advantage of his numbers, and that is what he will do, and he will drain Cragspur to do so."

"And that's when you attack," Hideyoshi finished, unable to decide if he should sound impressed or revolted at the subtle power-play. Masamune nodded, like he was unaware of the implications of his own strategy.

"Yes. You only need to hold out long enough for us to seize Cragspur; then we'll fall in from behind and crush the Coalition's main force."

"And then?" Nene asked for both of them. Masamune's brow straightened slightly, but that was all he was willing to grant the two.

"It would hopefully be enough to rouse Lord Nobunaga into a full counter-offensive," the Ignite blinked at the statement - while, inherently, there was no truth value to the statement, that was what triggered some sixth sense in the back of his head. Hideyoshi wasn't sure how, but he knew that Masamune was lying about his intents for the aftermath. The Avian, somehow, knew that Nobunaga had no intent of actually getting involved in central Ransei any further - that was apparent to Hideyoshi simply from the wording of his orders - and already was holding one of the Auroran Warlords hostage behind their backs. And this could very well just be a way to kill two Flying Types and seize three kingdoms with only one stone.

It was actually brilliant plan - so brilliant, that Hideyoshi realized he and Nene had been backed into a corner where the only possibility for an out was working within the confines of his scheming. And to then distract Nene by visibly presenting himself as the weaker party to boot! He looked back over at Nene, resisting the urge to scowl; her mien betrayed no awareness of the cauldron they were slowly being boiled alive in. Whether or not that meant she was unaware of the full scope of the threat one sight-impaired, wounded teenager posed to her or that she was just relying on her well practiced poker face, not even the Ignite could discern. And the next words served to give away none of her thoughts.

"And you'll need all of Avia's army to pull this off?"

"Regrettably, yes," Masamune replied, convincingly dour. Nene closed her eyes, and for a glimpse of a second Hideyoshi could see the gears turning in her head.

"Very well," the Viperian finally said, looking down at the half-eaten food below her and not finding her appetite in it. Hideyoshi swallowed and decided it was time to run interference again.

"Then we best be on our way, in that case," the Ignite said, standing with a degree of confidence that masked any reservations or suspicions he had. "The more time we have to prepare Viperia's defenses, the better."

It was said to both of the Warlords, but meant only for Nene. She nodded and followed suit.

"Good luck," Masamune uttered as he took a sip of his glass, as if he was trying to avoid adding on an 'you'll need it'. The Avian's gaze then turned to the junior warlord standing behind them. "Kojuro, escort them out and then take a party to keep an eye on Cragspur. I want to be able to move as quickly as possible."

The other Avian bowed wordlessly, following the two visiting warlords out of the dining room. Masamune watched them go, back seeming to get more rigid the closer they got to the doorway, and finally letting out a breath as the trio left and Magoichi quietly slid the door shut behind them. Masamune slumped down in his chair, holding back a wince at feeling his wounds object, and instead opted for rubbing his right temple. Magoichi just took a seat at the table and poured himself a glass of sake.

"That could have gone worse," Magoichi said, taking a hearty swig of the drink.

"I can't wait for the day where I won't have to feign weakness anymore, Magoichi," the Warlord groaned out, shifting his hand from his temple to the bridge of his nose. "Hopefully those two will be able to put up a fight without you. We can't risk defeat here - not now, not when I have them by the throat!"

Only then Masamune realized that his knuckles were beginning to turn white from how tight he was clenching his hands. Magoichi shot him a concerned look, but knew better than to do anything more. The Warlord of Avia exhaled and relaxed his fists, letting him see all the scars and callouses across them.

"It will be worth it at the end. It has to be."

* * *

For what had to be the umpteenth time, Kazumi turned what could very well be the key to her escape.

An unassuming, unmarked bottle full of an equally unremarkable liquid. A cautiously experimental whiff had been enough to make her feel faint - enough that she almost forgot to hand her letter to the Crobat that brought it to her before it could fly off. Elbows resting on the windowsill as she watched the departing form of Hideyoshi and the Viperians, she mused on how absurd the idea of entrusting her mail to Hideyoshi would have been to her just a week prior: now their old foe was the best chance she had of getting it to Tadashi. Kazumi turned back to the panel door on the other side of the room after discreetly tucking the bottle underneath her pillow; the silhouette of only one guard met her. Just like when he returned her dagger, Kazumi had initially been confused about the reduced security around her - not certain whether to chock it up to arrogance, complacency or just a more subtle attempt at winning her trust - but after hearing about the visiting Viperians she quickly understood: Masamune was finally going to be attacking Cragspur, and he needed every last warrior he could spare.

And that could very well be her way out.

Despite plopping down on her bed in a vain attempt to calm herself, Kazumi could barely keep her pulse from racing: freedom was not just a vague notion she had to make a contingency for now, but a reality so near she could practically reach out and grasp it.

She just had to reach through Masamune for it.

* * *

Shingen didn't know whether or not to be grateful that his missing ally had managed to reappear out of thin air overnight. Word that the castle guard had found him, seated and resting upright, on the rock that Oichi had been waiting on the night prior spread through the castle quicker than a Terreran sandstorm. The Dragnovian princess - as if this was some cruel joke - happened to be in the middle of telling him her lord had returned when news of where he ended up was brought to them. Shingen had never seen the blood drain from someone's face so quickly before. Oichi didn't even have time to regain her senses and excuse herself before Tadashi followed up on the announcement of his reappearance.

And what an appearance it was. Put under the specter of daylight, the smears of mud and flecks of blood dried against his already warped armor, the tatters in his cape, the shamble in his walk and exhaustion cutting through his mien were all plain to see. And somehow the Auroran still kept his back straight.

"Lord Shingen," he spoke first, sounding like it was the first words he had said in a week.

"Boy," the Terreran replied not uncharitably, sparing a cautionary glance back up at Oichi to make sure she still had a pulse. The look on her face was as indiscernible as the one on his.

"I was reckless," Tadashi stated matter-of-factly, after terse second of awkward silence. He showed no visible signs of remorse or reproach - just cold acceptance. Shingen, for once, was as wordless as Oichi. Tadashi continued. "I leave Viperia to you."

And with that curt admission-turned proclamation - at the very least, Shingen gave him credit for his ability to appear completely unaffected by any hit he received - Tadashi turned and strode out of Cragspur's study in a futile attempt to hide the shamble in his step, tattered cape trailing his steps. It had been such a surreal exchange that Shingen only realized afterwards he had not managed get in more than a single word, much less barely take note of the Umbreon in the Auroran's shadow.

Oichi didn't bother trying to apologize on behalf of her lord, staring at the doorway Tadashi left through with a blank face for a good minute before finally leaving.

Shingen shook his head, trying to decide which devil offered the better deal.


	47. Chapter 47

Kazumi listened with bated breath as warriors on the floors below scrambled to get ready for their assault on Cragspur. Even without her window facing Avia's courtyard, she still had a vibrant mental picture of the scene unfolding from her former front-row seat. One detail in particular had called out to her: the sight of nearly a dozen warriors - all of whom had partners too small to carry them - piling onto a Gyrados.

Much as she hated the thought of being back in the air, it would be her way out. And the bottle of chloroform she was anxiously turning over in her hands would be her ticket.

Kazumi waited a few more seconds to steel her nerves and for the pounding below to stop, before turning to the panel door behind her. The silhouette of the one guard assigned to her was still standing there, as unaffected as usual. The Auroran shoved aside the pang of consciousness she felt as she put her iconic outer sash to the mouth of the bottle and turned it upside down. A smaller part felt guilty about ruining what had been a gift from Tadashi.

Her hand tightened around her makeshift weapon as she reached for the door. The guard on the other side looked more puzzled than anything else at seeing her open it; she had a good half-second to process the sight of his face. Like the others, he couldn't have been any older than her - maybe even a year or so younger. That did little to settle the knots in her stomach.

"Miss?" he said in a voice that nearly cracked. Kazumi threw herself forward before her window of opportunity or willpower vanished. The warrior didn't have time to let out a cry for help or make use of his spear; she immediately shoved the pink fabric in his face, pinching his nose and smothering his mouth right as he opened it to object. Kazumi realized how out of her depth she really was when, contrary to her consummate amateurish expectations, her quarry didn't immediately start to loose consciousness but began to violently thrash against her assault. She clamped down harder on the guard's face to avoid getting thrown off in her initial shock, following that up by digging in her heels and pressing her elbow against the boy's neck, slamming him into the wall. Somehow, she managed not to double over when her guard dropped his spear, grabbed her shoulders and kneed her in the gut. Kazumi grit her teeth and pressed in harder, managing to avoid another hastily thrown kick and ignoring the feeling of his nails digging into her arms as he tried to pry her grip off. The Auroran swallowed the last of her reservations with a shaky gulp and slammed her knee into the Avian's gut with as much force as she could manage. He lurched forward and gasped into the cloth; Kazumi pressed in hard enough again to slam him back up against the wall.

The guard tried to wrest himself free of her grip, but Kazumi could feel his movements becoming gradually more sluggish and weak. He finally exhaled, eyes rolling upwards as he began to sink to the floor. Kazumi kept the sash over his face for another half-minute for good measure, and only when she lifted it from his face did she realize that her hands were as shaky as her breath. She watched, wiping away the cold sweat that had collected on her brow with the back of her hand, as her victim's chest quietly rose and fell, a cruel foil to the violence of a minute prior.

She stuffed her soaked sash in the fold of her obi, bent down and picked up the Avian by his arms, and managed to drag his body into her room. A couple of minutes later, Kazumi had finished making the necessary adjustments to her pilfered set of armor and reached for the helmet when she realized the one fatal flaw in her disguise: her ponytail.

Long enough to reach the hem of her skirt, her hair had been one of the few things Kazumi allowed herself to indulge in: a product of nearly two year's worth of care and daily morning rituals, and something that few people in Ransei could hope to compete with. It was also a dead giveaway. She reached for Shingen's dagger and hesitantly turned it over in her hands - of all the ways it would help in her escape, this was the last one that she had been expecting. The warlord exhaled, closed her eyes and grabbed her ponytail shortly above the base of her neck.

_"It can always grow back..."_ the thought did little to ease her discomfort, but she drove the steel through the brown locks regardless. The Auroran couldn't bring herself to look down at her boots, simply donning the helmet and sparing a glance over at her own armor, still lying in an ignominious pile in the corner of the room. Her maedate stared back. Kazumi tore herself from staring at the reflection in the lustrous ornament, carefully stepping around the still-unconscious guard as she marched out of her cell, and then broke into a full sprint down the hallway.

The incognito Auroran nearly froze when she stepped out into Avia's courtyard, a combination of the sudden burst of sunlight and dozens of Avians and Pokemon running about giving her pause. She could easily make out her captor in the distance by his ostentatious helmet, flanked by and quietly talking to his two lieutenants as one island of calm deliberation in an ocean of chaotic bustling. And then they all nodded, nearly in unison, with Masamune and Magoichi climbing onto the former's Braviary and Kojuro marching off to his own partner. Realizing her window of opportunity was becoming increasingly smaller and that she must have looked awfully conspicuous to anyone who would stop long enough to notice a single warrior standing in the gateway to the keep, Kazumi immediately bolted off in the direction of the Gyarados. The Auroran slowed her pace as she got closer to the Atrocious Pokémon to appear less desperate to the handful warriors watching her approach, and felt her breath catch in her throat for a good second when she came to a stop. The nearest warrior did a once-over of her and then extended his hand. Kazumi accepted, and seconds later she was hoisted into one of the many saddles on the Pokémon, steeling herself for the climb.

And then Masamune raised his sabre half a minute later, catching a glint of the sunlight on the steel.

"FORWARD!"

* * *

Quiet moments like this had managed to become the most frenetic for Tadashi. Sitting cross-legged at the top of one of Cragspur's towers, resting in the shadow of the sun, he would have presented the ne plus ultra of tranquility to any onlookers. But his mind was a whirlwind of images and memories of the past few days - with some difficultly, he managed to sort them into the correct chronological order - as he tried to lose himself in replaying battles and strategies to avoid having to pay heed to the inevitable thoughts skimming underneath the surface of his consciousness.

Invariably the images all danced away from the battle at Viperia, his talk with Oichi, or his unnoticed midnight visit to Cragspur's archives, to where he found himself after his meeting with Shingen: in a practice session, trading blows with Ginchiyo and Muneshige. First, just with their Pokémon - and Kazumi's, the Espeon staying behind with him this time - but then with cold steel. It had been a frantic, incessant contest of alacrity and reaction times, and he had leaned upon his link with his partner to remain one step ahead of the Violighters, much to their consternation.

It had been a much needed return to a form he had yet to use.

He then delegated control of Aurora's contribution to a shocked Ginchiyo - seconded by Dosetsu, having been watching over them like always, announcing his intent to remain behind in Cragspur once again as a subtle way of encouraging his daughter - as she was perhaps the only person he trusted to be able to act in his stead. What happened between that and his trek to this remote corner of the castle was a blur of colors and staggered breathing.

Tadashi continued running his hand over the Pokémon resting in his lap, thinking absently that Eevee's fur was far more coarse than he remembered and that it might be time for a bath. Then he opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of a snug-looking Umbreon. Tadashi gave his head a heavy shake, disrupting his partner's massage as he shifted his thoughts back to the plan. Shingen had left hours ago with virtually all their warriors - only Cragspur and a few volunteers from Aurora remained - with the goal of attacking Viperia from every conceivable direction. It would leave Cragspur at its most vulnerable, and all parties involved knew it; and that was why Tadashi had to stay behind.

His partner stirred in his lap, and Tadashi opened his eyes again, following the direction the Moonlight Pokémon found itself pointing in. The distant sight of dozens of Flying Types greeted him - only faint specks on the horizon now, but soon to be the sole recipient of his attentions. Tadashi stood.

_"Soon,"_ he thought, bordering on the cusp of eagerness at the idea of their inevitable confrontation as he began his descent through the tower's stairwell.

_"But not now, not yet. Anything less than the ideal time will allow him to escape."_

Tadashi quieted his thoughts as the castle broke out into the clamor of shouts and stomping boots, effortlessly slipping into the shadows of the fortifications and the peripheries of the garrison's awareness.

* * *

Kazumi, still unrecognized and somehow having managed to keep her stomach from churning during transit, released her white-knuckled grip on the saddle and forced herself to swing a still-shaky leg over the side of the saddle to not stand out. Her feet hit the ground in conjunction with half a dozen other warriors, though she was the only one to not immediately break into a wild charge at the waiting Cragspur warriors, opting to pause for a minute to take in her surroundings as battle broke out. The Auroran's attention was immediately directed overhead as Masamune and a handful of fliers easily skirted over the secondary ward - itself under assault by Kojuro's wing - and dived headfirst into the tertiary ward.

Somehow, the familial instinct in the back of her mind told her that Tadashi was waiting there for the Avian. And then the memory of Masamune executing Kotaro quickly imposed itself over her mind's eye.

Kazumi found herself bolting across the battlefield seconds later, being careful to avoid both Avians and Cragspurites alike: the last thing she decided that was needed was undue attention on herself in the middle of a battlefield, while still being defenseless. Arriving, with shaky breath, at the unguarded walkway leading up to the second level - likely because Kai had rightfully assumed that defending a ground-based chokepoint was pointless against opponents who could fly, and had instead opted to throw all the warriors under her command at the invaders - Kazumi stared up at the edifice above. Shouted commands and attacks began to meld into one another in a noisome cacophony, but she resolved to not stop until she reached her brother regardless.

* * *

Masamune was not surprised to find Ujiyasu waiting for him as he and his retinue descended into the courtyard of Cragspur's keep. The aging colossus fancied himself as both the first and last line of defense for his Kingdom, and it was a sentiment Masamune would have normally appreciated had Ujiyasu not decided years ago that defending his Kingdom did not extend to the stability of his neighbors. What did surprise him was that Ujiyasu was the only warrior present to oppose his descent.

"So," Masamune said loudly as he, Magoichi, and the latter's Grovyle descended from the back of his Braviary. "It comes full circle."

Ujiyasu, signature pipe pinched lazily between his teeth as he leaned back against his colossal partner, blew out a cloud of smoke and ignored the other gathering warriors in favor of giving the Warlord of Avia his undivided attention.

"Can't end what never began, boy," Ujiyasu replied, standing upright only to shift his weight to his cane. Gigalith took a few lumbering movements forward, every step of the Rock Type coming off like the beat of a war drum.

Masamune didn't bother to respond, opting to motion for Magoichi and his guard to encircle the Warlord of Cragspur. For all his bravado, Masamune knew better than to underestimate Ujiyasu. The Cragspurite scoffed as his gaze swept over the Avians.

"So, that's how it'll be. Rock Polish." Gigalith answered the command by closing in on itself, looking almost like a small, shiny mountain. The Avian grit his teeth and lowered his hand, and the battle cries of a dozen warriors and Pokémon quickly followed.

"Stone Edge, and let's not tear up the courtyard for it!" Ujiyasu shouted, eyeing the approaching Staravia and Scyther. Gigalith decompressed and slid forward with a speed that could rival any of the attackers, smashing into its targets with such force that both were sent flying back to their partners unconscious. The Compressed Pokémon quickly coiled itself back up at Ujiyasu's mental prodding for an Iron Defense, both watching passively as a Golbat crashed harmlessly against its supposed prey. Gigalith emerged from its metaphorical shell to send the Bat Pokémon tumbling across the field with a half-hearted flick, only for both Pokémon and Warlord to be caught off-guard by the sight of a charging Braviary.

The impact of a head-on Superpower managed to force the Rock Type to stagger backwards, and before the Cragspurite could order his partner to seize on the Braviary's momentary proneness, Magoichi's Grovyle leaped in with a well-placed Leaf Blade to the Rock Type's face. Any further hopes of catching Masamune with his pants down were further quashed by the rest of the Avian's forming a wall in front of their leader's partner while it moved back and recovered from the exertion of the high-risk, high-reward moves that Masamune was so fond of.

Not that it particularly bothered Ujiyasu: patience was not only a virtue he had in excess, but was one of many that Masamune lacked. And the more grunts that he could defeat here, the larger the window he would have to goad Masamune into overextending his partner.

* * *

The sinking feeling in Oichi's stomach only grew deeper as she surveyed the battlefield she had wound up on: most of their warriors had been understandably gathered here in the secondary ward under Dosetsu where they could easily come to the help of Kai or Ujiyasu. Naturally, it made sense that the Avians would concentrate the majority of their forces here: and while the geriatric Violighter and his partner were doing their best to occupy as many of the invaders as they could, it was still obvious they were outnumbered and being pushed back.

"Finish this with a Dragon Tail!" her attention was drawn by the voice - conspicuously calm despite the battle raging around them - just in time to see one of Masamune's lieutenants stepping over the defeated partners of two shocked Cragspurites. Their eyes met, and to Oichi it felt like he was looking straight through her - as Dosetsu had placed her in the back to guard the pathway to the keep - until a flicker of recognition passed over his bespectacled eyes and his attention shifted fully to her.

"I presume you are Lady Oichi?" Kojuro said, taking a second to eye the Jigglypuff in her arms before offering a well-practiced bow. "The description provided was uncanny."

Oichi blinked and let her partner float out of her arms as the Avian's Dragonair slithered up behind him. "You were looking for me?"

" _Out_ for you, yes," he clarified, voice still monotone despite her audible surprise. "While Lord Masamune will soon have everything he needs, he still believes your person to be of some strategic value."

The idea almost made Oichi laugh.

"Nobunaga doesn't pay any thought to me," the Auroran returned without remorse.

"Yes," Kojuro agreed with a quiet nod, and Oichi felt a chill run down her spine at the unspoken correction. Her eyes ran over the Avian and his partner for a brief second - he seemed not to mind, as they both knew she lacked the martial skill of her lords or the acumen of their tacticians, and Oichi intended to use that disparity to her full advantage - and forced herself to choke down an anxious gulp.

"I can't let you pass," Oichi finally said as Jigglypuff waddled in front of her. The Avian took off his spectacles, cleaned the fog off the lens with his jacket, and donned them again.

"Lord Masamune would have assigned me to his guard had he needed my presence," Kojuro titled a few fingers forward and Dragonair slithered in front of him. "Dragon Tail, now."

Oichi felt her breath hitch as the Dragon Type launched itself forward, the various options available to her quickly flashing through her head as she struggled to come to a decisive option.

"Rollout!" Oichi blurted out, almost on a whim. Jigglypuff had, to Kojuro's eyes, better tactical sense than her; rushing forward and using its momentum to avoid the crush of Dragonair's tail before whirling around behind it. The Avian's partner merely twisted its serpentine body to swing the attack back around, batting aside Jigglypuff's charge with ease. Jigglypuff recovered with a sharp inhale, ballooning and safely floating back down in front of Oichi - Kojuro used the opportunity to have his partner engage in an elegant, weaving movement that Oichi immediately recognized as Dragon Dance. But the moment of calm also gave her enough time to remember as much as she could about the Dratini line - one that had originally been considered for her - and a new trick she and Jigglypuff had been training for.

"Use Sing, Jigglypuff!" Kojuro resisted the urge to sigh at her telegraphing.

"Safeguard," he commanded, as Jigglypuff's body expanded again to accommodate the barrage of alluring notes. The Dragon Type raised the translucent shield just in time to block the lullaby, only for Oichi to call out another command before the Avian could even finish.

"Now, Disable!" by the time Kojuro opened his mouth to issue a counterattack, Jigglypuff had already seized his partner's attention with a wag of its stubby arm.

_"Using Sing in a gamble to prevent us from protecting ourselves long-term? Of course a princess of Dragnor would know our possible moves - perhaps we've underestimated her,"_ Masamune's lieutenant thought before shaking his head. "We still have time and the advantage of range. Dragon Dance."

Oichi wondered, briefly, if the knots building in her stomach was the long-eluded feeling of elation at the idea of having successfully predicted the flow of the battle or anxiety over the idea of it not being enough. She tightened her fists and pursed her lips, trying to present a facsimile of the mask that Tadashi was always able to muster, much as she hated it. Kojuro kept his focus solely on Oichi as he took full advantage of her inactivity, neither noticing the momentary lull in the fighting around Dosetsu.

"Luxray: Thunder!" both were taken by surprise: the blast of lightning charged into Dragonair before Kojuro had a chance to order it to dodge. Dosetsu's silvery eyes met Oichi's brown, giving her an approving nod as he turned back to his opponents, while Oichi seized the chance she had.

"Rollout again!" Jigglypuff rolled forward, Kojuro's head snapping back to his battle just in time to watch the Normal Type slam right into his partner: unlike the Thunder, Jigglypuff managed to topple the Dragon Type.

"Unwise. Dragon Tail and Dragon Dance," Dragonair easily squirmed out of the Balloon Pokémon's feeble tackle and whipped it back to Oichi with a simple flick of the tail. She flinched at the strength behind the casual attack and the pain that flared across their link, and quickly took the opportunity provided by Dragon Dance to survey the battlefield behind her opponent, looking for anything that might be able to distract Kojuro.

All she saw was battle after battle of her allies slowly being pushed back - even Dosetsu, the number of foes he had been fending off having taken advantage of his Luxray taking a cheap shot to close the gap the Violighter had maintained. All it would take was for Kojuro to return the favor once he was done with her for the Avians to gain the upper hand over the old marshal.

The realization that the battle came down to her holding her own against Kojuro grew on Oichi with all the cold, numbing embrace of a stroke. Everyone, from greenhorn Cragspurites to Violight's strongest warrior, whether or not they were aware of it, were relying on her to not buckle here. The knots in her stomach multiplied; Oichi reached into her link to gauge her partner's strength, and was aghast to realize that Jigglypuff might fall unconscious before they even had a chance to use their trump card. The pressure only continued to build as the Auroran wracked her mind for some encouragement to give that could prolong its will to fight, for the right words to say.

And then, like a dream - without even understanding it herself - Oichi's mouth parted and she heard the melody come forward. It was rapturous, almost, the sudden disappearance of the weight on her shoulders and her stomach settling as lyrics subconsciously danced from her tongue, bringing the entire battlefield to a standstill at the sound of her one-woman aria.

Oichi blinked self-consciously when she came down from the bliss of her warrior skill, too busy trying to process the blur of the past half-minute to register her labored breathing or trembling hands.

"Discharge!" Dosetsu shouted in the distance, not one to pass up on the unwitting distraction Oichi's silver-tongued soliloquy had provided. His command and the subsequent roar and crack of lightning caused the battle to pick up where it had left off, but Oichi could see a renewed spirit in her allies: Jigglypuff, too, was back on its feet like it had yet to even been hit. Kojuro just pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, well, rest assured you will have a promising career in the theater once Lord Masamune conquers Ransei, Lady Oichi. Dragonair, finish this with another Dragon Tail." The Dragon Pokémon rushed forward, and Oichi saw her one chance. Drawing on her link to inform Jigglypuff, she kept her partner waiting until Dragonair was within striking distance. Their quarry came to a seamless halt only a few feet away from the Normal Type, committing itself to its attack with such grace and poise that, for the ghost of a second, reminded the Dragnovian Princess what had drawn her to the line to begin with.

"Now Jigglypuff!" the Balloon Pokémon rocketed forward just as the attack came down, narrowly dodging as it put as much force as it could into the Gyro Ball. Dragonair, for all its Dragon Dances, was not afforded the opportunity to pull back; rather the sheer force of the impact sent it flying into Masamune's second-in-command. There was a stunned silence that spoke to a mutually shared disbelief, and Kojuro finally shook free of it long enough to gather his downed partner and recuse himself from the front lines. Oichi stood motionless for a good minute after that, almost thinking that if she moved she would find herself waking up in her pallet. The Auroran finally blinked, broke out into a smile - barely even noting that the battle was beginning to turn back in their favor - and clapped her hands together with a cheer for Jigglypuff. The Normal Type spun around and gave a cheery bow to her in thanks.

"Oichi!" the warlord turned at hearing her name, recognizing the voice but not believing it. The sight that greeted her - an Avian warrior, coming from one of the side-passages that fed into their ward and charging towards her without a partner or weapon - only added to the confusion. Oichi raised her hands defensively, but dropped them in shock when the warrior tore off her helmet and she got a good look at the face underneath.

"Lady Kazumi?" Oichi said with even more incredulity than she had a minute ago, with just enough self-awareness to restrain herself from announcing it to the entire battlefield as the twin ran closer. "How did you-"

"No time to explain," Kazumi replied through shallow breaths. "We need to-" she was cut off by a sharp pain in her temple, as the familiar presence of Espeon made itself known through the link that had lied dormant for the past weeks. What she saw through the Pokémon's eyes horrified her. "Hurry!"

The Warlord rushed up the pathway behind Oichi, while she turned back to the battlefield for a fleeting moment. Her eyes landed on a group of Cragspurites that had managed to fend off their opponents, and still feeling the high from her victory, Oichi decided to indulge in something she never had prior: giving orders.

"You five, follow me!" she yelled with such surety that none of them wasted any time in obeying as they chased after the escapee.

* * *

"End this with Superpower!" Masamune shouted with as much force as his voice would allow him: his partner was already halfway across the field, skirting over the unconscious partners of his guards - Magoichi's Grovyle being the last to join them, not a moment prior - who had voluntarily thrown themselves in front of attacks that would have crippled their chieftan's Pokémon. Gigalith, exhausted from the non-stop bait and switch the Avians engaged in and the Leech Seed that Magoichi had placed on it, was too late to dodge. With the most brilliant crash Masamune had seen since Nobunaga destroyed Cragspur's keep, Gigalith was sent flying into Ujiyasu.

Time seemed to freeze for the Warlord of Avia, even as the warriors behind him and his partner continued moving. After a good minute of stasis, Masamune finally heaved out a long, pent up breath as he surveyed the destruction before him. Gigalith had ended up lodged in the castle wall, while the unconscious and bloodied Ujiyasu was being lifted up by Tsunamoto and Shigezane. The Avian then looked up at Braviary: standing upright and shielding him from the sun's slow descent, the Flying Type's breathing was visibly haggard and its plumage was marred, but he didn't need to tap into their link to know the pride it felt at having bested Ujiyasu and Gigalith. Masamune turned his gaze away from the carnage around him to the levels of the castle below; Cragspur's army and the few Aurorans that had stayed behind were being slowly pushed back, and the One-Eyed Dragon knew it was just a matter of falling down on them from behind.

"It's over..." the Warlord finally allowed himself to say. The dopamine rush was so sudden and powerful, for a brief second he fancied indulging in the fantasy of acting his age and letting out a 'yahoo'.

But this was reality - a reality he forged - and he had to act the part.

The Avian allowed himself to at least smile. Not the sardonic smile he would tease Kazumi with, nor the thin one he plastered on his face for the serviles that called themselves his allies, nor the grim grin that he entertained when thinking back on Kotaro's demise. It was the most genuine smile that he felt on his face in what had to be a lifetime. Kazumi, Ujiyasu, Cragspur, its entire garrison, soon to be Yaksha and even Viperia - and even if he failed to defeat Shingen, Masamune knew he would still have more than enough to force the Coalition to break a deal. "It's really, finally over!"

"It is, is it?"

And with a mere four, impassive words, Masamune felt the rush of adrenaline crash to a halt. The whole courtyard of Cragspur's castle seemed to grind to a stop: the distant sounds of battle on the levels below and stone groaning against his boots fading away into nonexistence as he turned to meet the author of the proclamation. Standing at the base of the steps to the keep was a ghastly sight: a chimeric column of warped, stained armor, gold dulled into dust, tattered white and red, and pallid flesh greeted him. Masamune cocked an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" the monstrosity lifted his gaze at the demand, and even against the circles underneath his eyes Masamune immediately recognized him: the facial resemblance was uncanny to his distinguished captive.

"No one important," Tadashi replied. That time the better part of the Avian wanted to do a backflip out of sheer ecstasy at the sight; the other twin, alone, and now of all times! If the Legendary Pokémon favored him then this was its manna. But the paranoid intuition in the back of his mind kept his feet on the ground and directed his attention to the Auroran's gaze. It was completely incongruous with the rest of the similarities in his features. Kazumi was easy to read - endearingly so, even, as Masamune begrudgingly admitted to himself in the more quiet corners of his mind - as the Auroran could put on a perfect façade and her eyes would still give away her real thoughts. But his eyes betrayed nothing: they were as unmoving and lifeless as the rest of his face, so silvery they looked almost like mirrors.

It was a gaze he was well familiar with.

"Lord Tadashi," the Avian said, quietly reevaluating the man across from him as a threat. It was the Auroran's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Lord Masamune - I believe we have yet to be acquainted."

Masamune let a small, mercenary grin cover his features, deciding to see how far he could get underneath the twin's skin.

"Really? Because from the way your sister's talked, I feel like I already know you," he said it almost as a boast, expecting the myriad of unsaid implications to agitate the famously hot-headed Auroran. Instead Tadashi's face remained as it was: eyebrow raised in some shade of patronizing curiosity, and otherwise utterly bereft of emotion.

"You do, do you?" his voice was restrained, but only in the way an experienced assassin would restrain themselves from stabbing their victim at anything less than the ideal time. The Warlord in warped white took a half-step forward, the scabbard dangling at his hip gleaming in the dying sunlight while a shadow fell over his eyes. "Because I know you - and Ujiyasu has kept excellent records."

Masamune's grin fell from his face, and Tadashi continued.

"Having your father order you to shoot him along with your treacherous uncle, then killing your mother and finally slitting your brother's throat at your own funeral. And all at the age of sixteen," the Avian fought the urge to scowl and cap the Auroran for having the audacity to talk about his past like it was some accomplishment. It was almost impossible to perceive, but Masamune got the faintest sense that the Auroran had allowed himself the indulgence of a knowing smirk. "What a _dreadfully_ twisted responsibility that drives you."

There was a moment of dead silence where, faintly, Masamune thought he heard his own scream. He finally grit his teeth, straightened his back and loosened the vicegrips his fists had formed into.

"That's all well and good, but you still don't know a damn thing _about_ me."

"I know you're in over your head," Tadashi replied without missing a beat, voice still even.

The unadulterated irony of that one comment managed to shake Masamune out of the rage that had been slowly bubbling up inside of him. The Avian's shoulders began to tremble as he struggled to hold in his laugher at the absurdity of the advice, and he finally broke down by crossing his arms and allowing himself to indulge in a patronizing smirk of his own.

"You're mad," Masamune said, matter-of-fact tone doing little to hide the amusement lurking behind it.

"Mad?" Tadashi whispered experimentally, like he was tasting the word on his tongue. The Auroran found himself unable to hold in a quiet chuckle at how intoxicating it was. "Mad!" he echoed, voice louder and shakier as the chuckling began to metamorphosize into laughter. The Auroran finally threw his head back, and the laughter transformed into a psychosis-filled cackle that echoed off the walls of Cragspur and the insides of the Avian's skull. "MAD!"

And then, as quickly as it began, it stopped. Tadashi exhaled cathartically, gaze levelling with the Avian. Gone were the mirrors; instead the Avian could see something utterly inhuman lurking underneath the silver.

"Masamune..." his tone somehow struck a balance between being guttural and erudite. "You, of all people, should know that madness is a flower blooming in the spring."

Masamune allowed himself a good second of staring at the lunatic across from him before proffering his response: drawing one of his pistols and leveling it at the Auroran's shoulder.

"Try it," Tadashi goaded, voice and visage as calm as they were when he first appeared before the Avians. Masamune obliged, and his senses were quickly clouded by gunsmoke and the ear-splitting crack of his pistol. There was a pained cry a second later - and Masamune realized that it came from his left, and that his hand was not where he had pointed it. The Warlord's head snapped to his side and he found his missing arm, a dissipating cloud of smoke, and Magoichi crumpled on the ground, crying out in agony and clutching the bloody wound that had consumed most of his arm. Masamune's eye shot back at Tadashi; the Auroran was still where he was standing, arm outstretched like he had just knocked the Avian's wrist aside, and looking altogether unimpressed.

A dozen different explanations ran through Masamune's mind, but this time none of them were able to assert themselves over the unbridled fury that was crying out for blood.

"You bastard," he growled as he drew his second pistol - far quicker than the first time - and leveled it at the Auroran. Only for Tadashi to drop his outstretched hand, lift the other one, and watch impassively as the pistol seemingly tore itself out of Masamune's grip and flew into his palm.

"Now, now," Tadashi said quietly as he pulled the flint out of firearm and allowed it to clatter harmlessly onto the stone steps below. "We _are_ civilized men."

It was only then that Masamune noticed the Espeon - _Kazumi's_ Espeon, as he recalled from their first battle - peeking out from behind the Auroran's legs. He held in a snarl and spared a glance back at his partner: it's eyes were narrowed at the Auroran, and the Flying Type was just patiently waiting for the order.

"Yes, we are. BRAVE BIRD!" he shouted, levelling his hand in the general direction of Tadashi and not particularly caring where the attack landed. Braviary's wings shot out with a mighty cry, and it wasted no time in launching itself towards their opponents. Tadashi only took a half step back, allowing a mass of black fur to rush past him and towards the incoming Flying Type.

_"An Umbreon,"_ Masamune noted macabrely in the back of his mind, watching the Dark Type's suicidal charge as Braviary angled itself to crash head-first into it. And then the Moonlight Pokémon ground to a halt and threw up a familiar barrier of emerald energy. Masamune just grit his teeth as Braviary squawked and crashed beak-first into the Protect. Tadashi lazily lifted his hand as Braviary crumpled to the ground, and Umbreon dropped the barrier as quickly as it was raised, leaping forward and sinking its pale fangs into the Flying Type's ruff. Braviary shrieked out in pain and slapped the Auroran's partner away with a flick of the wing, only for Umbreon to recover mid-flip and land gracefully on its paws.

"Superpower, now!" Masamune, had his perception been any less clouded by adrenaline, would have taken note of his partner's abnormally sluggish response time. Instead his attention was drawn by the golden, luminescent rings decorating Umbreon flickering with a mesmerizingly amber light. Masamune forced himself to look away when the incoming headache gave away the Auroran's strategy.

"Stop and Roost!" the Avian shouted, right before the Valiant Pokémon had a chance to leap at the Dark Type. It lurched forward, almost stumbling, and then took a few wobbly, awkward steps backwards and folded its wings against itself.

Masamune excepted the Auroran to take full advantage of Braviary's confusion and vulnerability and attack - Tadashi's response was just to continue to quietly watch, his partner poised to pounce but otherwise unmoving. The Avian allowed himself a growl: if they were trying to agitate him, indolence was one of the quickest ways to it. His focus was honed in entirely on his foe - Braviary's half-hearted affirmation of it's ability to continue the fight was shoved to the back of his mind with another mental command for Superpower. The Flying Type lumbered forward with a heavy flap of the wings, launching itself at the Umbreon with an angry, wild caw.

"Protect," the same infuriating field of green energy sprung back up, and the Valiant Pokémon swerved last minute to avoid it, only to end up throwing itself into the stones below in its daze, squawking out in pain as rock cut through its plumage. Of all the reactions Masamune had excepted to come out of Tadashi at the sight, the last was for him to grab his temple and drop his gaze. Umbreon somehow took that as its cue to attack, a jagged, sickly looking energy surrounding its front paws as it lunged forward. Braviary's vision stopped spinning long enough for it to see only one Moonlight Pokémon before it brought down its Night Slash.

"Superpower!" the Warlord of Avia cried out once more, feeling the specter of desperation creeping up on him again at the idea of somehow losing to the lesser of the Aurorans. Braviary finally managed to land a hit with a sloppy flick of its wing, sending a whipped Umbreon tumbling right after its claws dug into its quarry. Braviary took the opportunity to rise back up, literally shake its head clear of the crippling disorientation, and eye its opponent with utter disdain. Masamune knew better than to give the Auroran another chance to take advantage of a lull in the battle. "No quarry! Brave Bird!"

Mentally, he ordered his partner to go slowly - to his mild concern, rather than the grudging acceptance he was used to at telling his partner to restrain itself, the Valiant Pokémon readily agreed as it took flight. Masamune was kept from dwelling in his link any longer by the sight of Protect going up again, and he sent out the command for his partner to stop before it could crash. Braviary managed to break off its attack before the momentum it built was irreversible, bringing itself to a rocky landing a good few feet away from its opponent.

"Hone Claws," the Warlord commanded, watching for the slightest sign that the Protect would lower. Tadashi motioned for Umbreon to get back while Braviary busied itself using the tiles below as a whetstone, the Flying Type watching warily as the Dark Type labored to maintain the protective barrier as it took a couple of sluggish, heavy steps back. The two sides continued to stare off, Masamune ordering more clawing away at the floors while Tadashi audibly grunted as Umbreon somehow managed to maintain its defenses well after it should have dropped.

And then the barrier went down. Tadashi quietly exhaled as Masamune ordered another Superpower. Braviary, with a heavy heave of its own, lunged forward with talons poised to dig into the Dark Type. Umbreon, with a speed incongruous with its type, managed to roll out of the way of an attack that crushed the stone it had been standing on a second prior. The Valiant Pokémon wheeled around, throwing out its wing and getting close enough to the evasive Dark Type to get it to flinch. Masamune felt his hands begin to tighten into fists as he watched the cycle of an increasingly-exhausted Braviary throw out attacks only for Umbreon to somehow manage to avoid them within an increasingly widening margin of error. Tadashi remained as he had for the past few minutes; silent, and with a gaze so distant on his face it looked like he was catatonic.

"To the right!" Masamune cried out in desperation after finally beginning to detect the pattern to the Moonlight Pokémon's rolls and leaps; he felt the strain through his link as Braviary summoned the force to actually put weight behind its attack, and finally delivered a sweeping blow to the Umbreon before it had a chance to veer away from the interception. The Dark Type was sent sprawling across the field with a pained yelp, but managed to recover and took another leap backwards to put more space between itself and the hulking Flying Type. The Warlord of Avia grit his teeth, knowing the moment that he ordered another attack the infernal barrier would come back up and the battle would revert from staring contest back into a game of Meowth and Rattata. His eye turned back to his partner, who had been conspicuously silent over their link: the sight of his proud partner laboring to breathe was unwelcome, but not unexpected after the exertion of the past few minutes. His gaze turned back to the Dark Type, and decided that the only way to beat the Auroran was at his own game.

"Charge!" he shouted, leveling a hand at the Umbreon and sending a mental order to his partner to not actually attack. There was no response from Braviary: it took outstretched its wings in preparation, and as if the Auroran had somehow called his bluff, Umbreon remained unmoving. Masamune's partner then took a staggered step forward, and collapsed.

The Avian stared in a mixture of disbelief and outrage at his partner, blinked, and reached into his link. It was silent. His gaze followed the Umbreon as it scampered back behind its partner's legs, who had left his vegetative impassiveness behind to allow a small frown on his features.

" _All_ your efforts have only delayed the inevitable," Tadashi said, pointedly, with a faint echo of vindictive edge to his cadence. "This battle was decided from our first attack."

Masamune blinked, and then remembered the sight of Umbreon biting into his partner's neck - and, in hindsight, how odd it was that an attack in such a vital area did so little damage. The idea that the entire battle had just been Kazumi's brother stringing him and his partner around for his amusement, watching the two of them dance and flail as he waited for the Toxic to finally claim its mark, made the Avian's blood boil.

"Really?" he replied through grit teeth, flexing his hands and then grabbing the hilt of his sabre. "Because from where I'm standing you're still surrounded."

The four warriors not busy providing first aid to Magoichi, holding up Ujiyasu or dragging Braviary away took that as their cue to rally behind their Warlord and draw their blades. Tadashi's eyes swept over the crowd in front of him, only for his ashen gaze to return to Masamune as he took a step forward, as if he was the only other person present.

"Do you _really_ want more blood on your hands?"

It was tempting to dismiss the question as a taunt in the vein of an empty bluff, but there was something visceral in the question - in the Auroran's reserved inflection, even - that demanded Masamune's attention. He kept his hand on the hilt of his blade and settled for levelling an even sharper glare at the co-Warlord.

"What?"

"As I said, I know you," Tadashi took another step forward, hand moving to grasp the scabbard at his hip. Masamune heard one of the warriors behind him take a cautionary step backwards. "And so I'll ask again: do you truly want more needless bloodshed?"

The Avian felt the rage he had been trying to constrain well up in his chest at the insinuation. It went beyond pride or what little honor he had left. Even beyond personal grief. It was a direct challenge to his legitimacy as a warlord. Masamune let out a heavy breath and drew his sabre, tensing and then forcing himself to relax as he felt the memento mori Kotaro carved into him object at the use of muscles that had yet to fully heal. He lifted up his free hand before the warriors behind him - _his_ warriors - had a chance to rush the Auroran.

"This is my fight," he uttered, lowering his hand and watching Tadashi for the slightest movement. The Auroran only drew his own sword - precisely, and with clear deliberation - after the other Avians had shuffled off to the sidelines, letting it sit between his eyes. The Eeveelutions behind Tadashi watched quietly as the warlord in white assumed a position opposite to Masamune, blade leveled in a defensive stance.

The Avian flexed the fingers curled around the hilt of his saber one by one, holding it at a deceptively lax angle as he sized up Tadashi. His stance and grip were refined to the point of being professional - but only in the academic sense. Kazumi, even when faced with death, couldn't bring herself to deliver a fatal blow to Kotaro; scandalous as it was for a native-born Violighter, it was obvious she had had no real experience with weapons. The well-practiced rigidity in her brother's posture told Masamune that, in all likelihood, it was the same for Tadashi - even if he had actual training, all his obfuscation and psychological prodding could do little to hide the indicators of his lack of tangible experience in swordplay. Masamune rolled his shoulders and felt the faintest objection from his torso, and an even fainter pang of self-doubt.

He pushed both of them aside. Deprived of his pistols, injured and without a partner, he could and would still easily best the insolent parvenu. This was his moment of triumph; and Tadashi was little more than a loose end that needed to be cut.

And so he took the offensive. Keeping his sabre at his side but angling the tip to skewer the warlord, he rushed forward and vented all his pent up frustrations with a primeval yell. Tadashi took a half step back, heel up to let him spin at a moment's notice, and positioned his sword to parry; Masamune thrust up and then pulled back, bringing the blade of his sabre down over his head and at Tadashi's collar. The Auroran's reaction time to the feint was admirably swift; he spun on the ball of his foot, moving to the Avian's unguarded left and throwing his sword to the inside of Masamune's to knock it away. Tadashi delivered a swift counter, bringing his sword across his foe's chest: Masamune leaped back, watching as the tip of the Auroran's blade effortlessly sliced through the material of his coat but otherwise missed. Both Warlords took a step back as their first pass ended inconclusively, Masamune maintaining his one-handed grip on his sabre as he slowly prowled around Tadashi, eyeing the unmoving Auroran like he was prey. Tadashi's gaze followed his opponent, arms coiling in closer against himself as he waited for the opportunity to spring. It came when Masamune broke pace and charged again; Tadashi dropped his passiveness and countercharged. Masamune threw himself to the left to avoid the unexpected slash, countering with a quick thrust to the Auroran's chest that was effortlessly parried. Tadashi seamlessly brought his sword overhead for a follow up, the Avian barely batting away the counterattack. Tadashi continued to press his advantage with a series of swift, deliberate strikes, and Masamune couldn't help but flinch as steel came within an inch of his nose as he was forced to take a step back. Another awkward flex to dodge produced more protestations from his chest, but the Avian smothered them with grunt as he took a sharp step forward and forced Tadashi into a deadlock. Metal grinding on metal screeched against the Avian's eardrums as he stepped deeper into a gridlock that neither of them were willing to give ground on, gradually forcing their swords to the side.

And then Masamune saw his chance. He gave up their deadblock, letting his sword drop as he stepped forward and smashed his elbow against Tadashi's chin before the Auroran had a chance to react. The Avian pressed his advantage at the sight of his foe stumbling back; he brought his sabre up in an attempt to cut into Tadashi's arm, only for the twin to manage to throw up his own sword last second in a sloppy defense. But the Avian had regained the initiative: his opponent's stance had been destroyed, leaving the Auroran's chest exposed as he tried to regain his balance. Masamune tightened his free hand as hard as he could, using his sword hand to keep Tadashi pinned, and delivered an almighty punch to the Auroran's gut. The One-Eyed Dragon winced as he felt bone smash against metal, but he was rewarded for his efforts with Tadashi dropping his block as he lurched forwards and let out a violent cough. Masamune ignored the splatter against his armor and quickly brought his sword back up and across the hunched-over twin: he couldn't help the grin that consumed his features when heard the pained yelp. A swift kick to Tadashi's gut nearly knocked the wheezing warlord over: he just used the momentum to stagger backwards and put space between himself and the Avian.

Masamune restrained himself from the urge to charge forward while his quarry was still prone: he had every intent of prolonging this for Braviary. He watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the Auroran let out another thick cough, wheezed, pounded his chest and finally spat out more blood. Both stood motionless as Tadashi's shoulders heaved with his heavy breathing, before he finally looked back up. A thin trail of scarlet - easily the most color on his face - dripped down his cheek and touched the edge of his grin.

"Well..." Tadashi chuckled through the cold sweat sticking to his gaunt features. "It seems you have some fight yet!"

The Auroran let out something that sounded like a mix between a pained grunt and a triumphant yell as he rushed forward, sword kept close to his chest. Masamune let him get within striking distance before he rolled past the Auroran, too self-satisfied with having pulled off the maneuver to feel the pang in his arm. Tadashi wheeled around - unexpectedly fast, especially for someone who had just gotten cut on the face - and sped over to Masamune's new location. The Avian parried a quick thrust at his shoulder, easily sidestepping the following slash and finally countered with a quick jab at the side of Tadashi's shoulder, creating an angry red tear in the white fabric.

The Avian felt the back of his throat go dry when Tadashi didn't even blink at being stabbed, the glassy look having returned to his eyes.

Before Masamune had a chance to respond, the Auroran brought his sword up on the inside of Masamune's arm. Pain shot down to his fingertips as he felt steel tear through flesh, and Tadashi quickly followed up with a kick of his own to Masamune's chest. The Avian barely heard his sword clatter to the ground over the sound of the back of his helmet hitting the stone. He blinked, trying to clear the blur from his gaze as his eye shifted from Tadashi to where his sword had fallen. It would be close.

_"There's no way in distortion am I going to lose to this-"_ his train of thought was cut off by Tadashi kicking aside his sabre before he could get a hold of the hilt. The twin turned to face him; sitting upright, Masamune quickly moved to push himself back and buy enough time to reach for his dagger, safely tucked away into a hidden sheathe on the back of his belt. Another roll to the side gave him the necessary distance to safely stand back up and brandish his tertiary weapon. Tadashi, through uneven breaths and a marred mien, somehow still managed to make arcing an eyebrow at the sight of someone pointing a knife at him look serene. And then Masamune flicked his wrist.

Tadashi barely managed to dodge the dagger before it could land square in his shoulder, giving Masamune enough time to swoop in and retrieve his sabre. The two opponents found themselves staring each other down again, the Avian taking the opportunity to flex his fingers to make sure he still had feeling in them, and finally gave his sword a twirl. Tadashi took a half step forward, sword levelled between his eyes. Masamune gave his sword a second twirl, ignoring the bloody tear in his sleeve; if the Auroran's blow had struck anything vital, he would be feeling it by now. There were no words exchanged as the battle fell into a short lull, both sides waiting for the other to make the first move; the one in white finally took the initiative. Masamune's reaction was precisely automatic; seconds later their swords were deadlocked again. He held his ground long enough for the Auroran to push into it, and then quickly relaxed to sidestep. The sudden loss of weight caused Tadashi to stumble forward for the faintest of seconds; Masamune took his chance to slash. Had Tadashi's block been a second later, he would have lost an arm.

Masamune's gambit left him exposed: Tadashi's sword was on the inside while the Avian's blade and arm were out. Seizing his own chance, Tadashi used his two-handed grip to easily push aside the Avian's one handed swing, and deliver a hard kick to his shin. The Warlord stifled a yelp and tightened his grip but dropped to his knee regardless; the Auroran quickly seized his wrist to keep Masamune from flailing his sabre around to buy himself time to recover, and twisted. Both parties heard something pop, and Masamune screamed as his blade clattered to the floor. The Avian forced himself to grit his teeth - nearly biting down on his tongue in the process - and made his eye stay open as he defiantly stared up, daring the Auroran to deliver the coup de grace. To the Avian's surprise, Tadashi just let his sword fall to his side and extended a hand.

And wrapped it around Masamune's neck.

The warlord of Avia let out a choked gasp as Tadashi's grip tightened and he was hoisted off his feet by the Auroran. Both hands immediately went to Tadashi's hand, trying to pry his fingers loose as he struggled for breath, throwing a few sloppy kicks at the Auroran's gut in an attempt to get loose. Visions of the past began to violently flash in front of his eye, ending with the sight of Nobunaga laughing and ruffling his hair after being shot just half a year prior.

"B-beast-possessed degenerate!" Masamune managed to spit out after worming the fingers in his offhand underneath Tadashi's iron grip. The declaration caused some semblance of life to return to his foe's bloodied mien, and with a self-conscious, emotionless blink Tadashi dropped Masamune right as his complexion began to shift from red to blue. The Avian threw out his hands to break his fall, and he could barely hold in the scream as pain flared in the wrist that Tadashi had twisted before it gave out underneath his weight. He grunted as his shoulder hit the tile, followed by beads of sweat. Masamune, over his frantic breathing, heard the Auroran's heavy footsteps as he paced around him. His breath hitched when he heard the clicking stop.

"Get back up," Masamune looked back up just in time to see Tadashi drop his sabre in front of him, the Auroran's face as impassive as his voice despite the blood and sweat trailing down it. The memory of Masamune's first real encounter with Nobunaga came back to him with a vengeance, and like that the missing piece of the puzzle to the Demon King's benign neglect finally clicked into place.

Nobunaga had created a monster to oppose him - and he, in his arrogant bravery in the first siege of Cragspur all those months ago, had been chosen as its whetstone. The why was beyond both his understanding and his concern: that both of them had been unwittingly dancing to Nobunaga's tune the entire time was not. And the thought that all his sacrifices, all the death, would be for absolutely nothing because some masochistic Dragnovian decided it would be made his vision turn red.

Masamune was the One-Eyed Dragon, and would demonstrate to Tadashi and then Nobunaga why he had earned the title.

His off-hand found itself in a vicegrip around the hilt of his most trusted companion, and he rose with a growl. Tadashi was standing there, blade still at his side, looking very much like Nobunaga had after the bullets had bounced off his armor. The only resistance the Auroran offered to the sight of Masamune staggering to his feet and angling his blade at his neck was to lift his own steel in a defensive stance. Fueled by pure adrenaline and unbridled rage, the One-Eyed Dragon's movements became a blur to himself, being little more than frenetic swings that abandoned all finesse in favor of presenting no opportunity for Tadashi to regain the ground he was quickly loosing. The Auroran gave as good as he got, steel continuously clashing against steel as he somehow managed to block or parry every increasingly desperate slash and jab that Masamune aimed at him. And then the Avian finally managed to land a hit, cutting across the Auroran's leg as he was busy guarding against an overhead slash that was never coming. Tadashi grunted and quickly recalibrated his stance, but Masamune seized full advantage of the break to thrust his sabre forward, the tip nicking the warlord in the chin. The sensation of cold steel so close to his neck did little to break Tadashi's concentration, but it did leave him open as he staggered back to prevent the Avian from thrusting forward any further. Masamune took his final swing with a bestial roar, bringing his offhand overhead, sabre poised at Tadashi's collarbone.

Tadashi let his sword drop to his side, threw out his own offhand, and grabbed Masamune's wrist midair.

The abrupt stop to his momentum mid-swing caused Masamune to blink and detail to return to his vision. Tadashi didn't give him the time to assess the situation: his grip moved to Masamune's hand and twisted, hard. The sabre clattered to the ground as Masamune lurched forward with another pained cry. Tadashi followed up by yanking on Masamune's wrist before he had a chance to recover his posture, sending him tumbling forward onto the stone below, face-forward. The Avian quickly rolled over and reached for his sword, only for the Auroran to kick it out of his reach again. Massamune's eye returned to Tadashi just in time to watch the warlord looming over him place a boot on his torso.

Masamune felt his chest, like his high and hopes, slowly deflate as Tadashi leveled the tip of his sword barely an inch away from his neck. The distant sight of Kazumi's Espeon darting across the field and towards the gates drew his attention only for an iota of a moment; he kept his eye squarely on Tadashi's searching for the slightest hint of reservation in them. He only found his own figure in their reflection.

For the first time since his funeral, as Tadashi raised his sword overhead, Masamune begged for forgiveness from the ghosts that lurked in the back of his psyche. The sound of the gates swinging open did little to distract either of them.

"Brother! Stop!" the sound of Kazumi's voice, however, did; Masamune felt his breath hitch when the edge of Tadashi's sword stopped just short of creating a lethal amount of space between his head and neck. Tadashi continued to lifelessly stare down at the Avian while Masamune, despite finding himself pinned between horror and now disbelief, managed to angle his head to get a view of the tertiary ward's gatehouse. Standing there, clad in the heraldic armor of Avia and flanked by a half dozen warriors and her partner Pokemon, was his distinguished captive. Who was also missing her equally distinguished ponytail. Their eyes briefly met - and for once Masamune found himself unable to read her - but Kazumi's attention quickly returned to the figure of her twin.

"He saved my life," she said, almost cautiously. Masamune's mouth parted at the sight of her trying to save his life for the second time in recent memory, and his gaze turned back to the other Auroran. Even with his face unmoving, his sister's words effected a visible change in Tadashi's eyes. The Avian took the short opportunity to take stock of the situation; even with Kazumi, having somehow pulled off an escape during their assault, he still had an unconcious Ujiyasu to use as a bartering tool. Negotiate safe passage, retreat to Avia and prepare for the inevitable siege. It took him a second to realize he was baring his teeth at the thought. The darker corners of his mind dredged up another half-plan, half-fantasy, as he absently watched Tadashi be consumed by his own thoughts, with his back still turned to the few Avians who had formed a screen in front of his sister's party. Tadashi might not have flinched at the idea of his death, but the same could hardly be said for Kazumi.

Masamune angled his head back in Kazumi's direction, and suddenly found his will to give the order dissipating along with the last of his aspirations. As if to make it a finality, the stormy gray in Tadashi's eyes resharpened into silver, and he applied more pressure to the foot pinning the Avian to the ground.

"Throw down your arms," he said, loudly, making a point of poking the tip of his blade against the underside of Masamune's jaw. "Now."

The silence that followed gave Masamune the mental image of his warriors looking amongst themselves, weapons half raised, and silently debating whether to negotiate or charge one of the twins. It was Magoichi, grunting as he pushed aside the warriors tending to the bloody mess in his shoulder, who provided some semblance of authority.

"Do what he says!" the mercenary shouted, voice cracking. Masamune let out a pent-up breath as he heard swords and spears clatter to the ground, along with a heavier thud that likely belonged to Ujiyasu's body. Tadashi slowly lifted the sword from the warlord's neck as the warriors behind Kazumi rushed in to arrest the Avians. Tadashi only lifted his boot off his prisoner's chest after he had finished sheathing his blade, and before anyone could act, detached the lacquer from his belt and swung it into Masamune's chin with a sickening smack that echoed across the courtyard.

Kazumi couldn't help the horrified gape that overcame her composure as the One-Eyed Dragon was knocked out cold.

Tadashi finally spun away from his foe, torn cape casting a crimson trail behind him, and faced his twin for the first time in weeks. His appearance did little to wipe away the shock on her face; even through all the bloody cuts, the shabby apparel and the sweat and grime she could clearly make out his familiar features. But they were cold comfort - almost mocking, even - as she could barely recognize her brother from the way he carried himself. He stopped next to her, back erect, shoulders squared, looking down at her from the corners of his eyes, and for a brief second Kazumi wondered whether he had somehow grown a foot taller in her absence.

"Sister," he acknowledged before walking past her and an equally stunned Oichi without any further fanfare. That one, hollow word sent a chill down the brunette's spine, Kazumi she found herself unable to respond as she watched her brother descend into the bowels of Cragspur's castle, the Umbreon trailing behind him barely even registering in her mind. Once the co-warlord was out of her sight, she felt the icy grip - one which reminded her all too much of Kotaro's presence - that had held her in place dissipate. She spared a glance back at the scene of carnage behind her, only to feel Oichi's dainty hand clamp down her shoulder. The girl in pink said nothing, but the look on her face told Kazumi that she would handle the situation here. The Auroran found herself mouthing a silent 'thank you' in genuine gratitude to Nobunaga's sister before bolting down the passageway herself.

"Brother! Tadashi, wait!"

Oichi turned back to watch as the unconscious Masamune was hoisted up and away by two Cragspurites, refusing to let the sorry sight dampen her high as she steeled herself for the real battle.


	48. Chapter 48

Kazumi's twin, for the fourth time that day, left her vexed. Her, and everyone still left conscious in the wake of his march through the lower levels of Cragspur's castle.

It shouldn't have been hard to find him: follow the trail of unconscious Pokémon - and, had they presented armed resistance, equally aggrieved Avians - and she should have eventually found her counterpart. But Tadashi had performed a vanishing act to put any of Kenshin's teleportation acts to shame: the few equally befuddled warriors where the carnage ended were of no help. They could recall with frighteningly vivid detail how he and his partner - Umbreon, Kazumi mentally corrected herself before the error could be made - had effortlessly defeated the Avians who had put them on the ropes, and then how her brother had easily reduced the warrior that charged him to the hunched over, bloodied and whimpering mess that was being lifted up by his two comrades. But both Cragspurites blanked when she pressed for information on where Tadashi went afterwards: it was as if he had somehow dissipated into the ether.

And then his voice rang out over the entire castle, carrying a force in it that she had only ever heard in the lifeless voice of a man ensconced in a tomb of black armor.

"Warriors of Cragspur, of Avia: all those who remain behind!" her gaze, along with every other warrior's, followed the voice to its source. Tadashi was atop one of the watchtowers, and set against the burgeoning sunset, he was nothing more than a silhouette to her eyes. A featureless silhouette with a very powerful echo. "Masamune has been bested. Viperia has been surrounded. Nobunaga has not shown himself."

There was a lull in his speech, punctuated by the cheers of dozens of warriors below.

"The war is over!" the warlord of Aurora proclaimed, to even more adulation than his previous declarations. Kazumi only felt the back of her throat go dry at the spectacle. "Shortly we will march into Dragnor and put an end to the last vestiges of this conflict, and we shall all be home by the new year."

There was another short pause, this time amplified by a silence loud enough that Kazumi could hear her brother exhale from his perch, like his next statement was too much to bear.

Maybe it was.

"After more than two centuries of warfare - _in our lifetime_ \- Ransei shall be reunited!" roars went up all around the castle so suddenly that they could have been mistaken for the sound of an earthquake. Kazumi almost gaped - not just at the full realization at the oft-held ambition, but that her brother, unwittingly or otherwise, had just placed himself at the center of it. Cheers continued across the castle unabated, even after Tadashi vanished from his spot on the tower. They lasted well after the icy grip that had kept the warlord in place relaxed and she began worming through the crowds in a vain hope of finding her brother: even Espeon could do little to locate him. Even after the celebrations finally faded into a quietly warm elation, it could do little to thaw the chill that had overtaken her.

As a last, desperate measure borne of some twin-bound determination, she reached back into her link with Espeon, remembering the faint glimpses of its psionic sight that passed to her through their link when it first evolved. Kazumi's vision was quickly flooded with a sharp cascade of colors - crystallized emotions and thoughts - and the Auroran nearly fell as she stumbled backwards from the full force of the canvas that had painted itself in her mind's eye. Clenching her eyes shut and closing out Espeon was all she could do to fend off the impending migraine.

When the stars were gone from her vision, the Auroran opened her eyes again. A few nearby warriors spared her a glance - probably out of bewilderment as much as actual concern, she belatedly realized - and to her disappointment, Tadashi was still nowhere to be seen. Espeon pawed at her leg, making up in gestures what it was barred from doing mentally. Kazumi just reached down and scooped up the Sun Pokémon, having missed the feeling of it resting in her arms almost as much as she missed Tadashi. For a brief moment the twin found her mind wandering back to when Espeon was still an Eevee, when she and Tadashi were just greenhorn warlords stumbling through one kingdom after another - and then to Tadashi's increasing ostracization, to the final vision in Yaksha, to the Nobunaga she had dreamed up. How he had walked by her with only an acknowledgement of a biological reality.

"I'm sorry, Tadashi..."

* * *

Shouting that had long died down still rang in Hanbei's ears.

They had won: at first, handily, but the resistance only grew stiffer the closer they drew to Viperia's castle, and Hideyoshi had clearly become skilled in using the swamps to his advantage. Now the Ignite, Nene and their entourages were being agonizingly sporting by making a ceremony out of giving Shingen the keys to the castle - not that they would be of use anymore, seeing that the Terreran had also ordered Rhyperior to destroy the gates with another Rock Wrecker - before departing to territory still held by Nobunaga.

The tactician doubted that meant Avia.

Nene finished with yet another bow to Shingen - fleetingly, Hanbei thought it was a bit comical that Shingen was only taller when his opponents were bent over - while Hideyoshi gave a desultory congratulations before turning to face his former tactician.

And to Hanbei's surprise and mild embarrassment, gave the tactician a hug.

"I was hoping to face Rival," Hideyoshi whispered quickly, making the one in white cock an eyebrow. "But I know I could trust you with this."

With all the finesse of a professional ninja, in one fluid motion the exile produced and stuffed a slip of paper into the tactician's pocket before spinning around like nothing had happened. Kanbei - standing next to him, and looking almost amused - just raised a eyebrow of his own as Hideyoshi sauntered off to where Nene was addressing the Viperians who had decided to follow her and Hideyoshi north. Hanbei turned his back to the gathered warriors and unfolded the letter: his heart skipped a beat when Kazumi's handwriting greeted him.

Anticipation quickly turned to foreboding as he began to peruse the contents of a letter detailing her suspicions about Masamune's loyalties and designs.

"A letter from Lady Kazumi?" Kanbei asked, his curiosity finally driving him to peer over Hanbei's shoulders. Hanbei blinked, silently processing the last of its contents before passing it to Kanbei. Part of him felt guilty about throwing what was part private correspondence to Tadashi around, but tactical concern overrode any objections for the privacy of a man who was not even present. Hanbei's gaze turned back to where Hideyoshi and Nene were while his counterpart read, only to see that their vanquished foes had already faded back into the bogs without so much as a sound.

_"For being so eager to drag out the surrender with pomp, they sure beat a hasty retreat..."_ Hanbei followed up his train of thought with another self-conscious blink and a glance back at Kanbei. "Hey, Kanbei?"

"You think they were banking on Masamune winning?" the albino continued, still hunched over the letter.

"Had to be. And while it's a long shot-"

"We can't risk getting pincered."

"Then we might as well get back to Cragspur," Hanbei almost jumped at the sound of Shingen's voice right behind him, but settled for spinning around too quickly to appear lax. The portly warlord of Terrera just grinned underneath his mask.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Hanbei coughed uncomfortably while Kanbei just folded the letter back up. "But I agree; better play it safe. We may even be able to catch Masamune off guard," Shingen craned his head over his shoulder. "Kanetsugu, Yoshihiro; keep your groups on garrison here! Everyone else: we're moving out!"

* * *

Masamune groaned as he blinked away the last vestiges of his dreams, exaggerated visions of days long gone swiftly replaced with sharp flashes of pain across his body that told him he was waking up to another nightmare. He blinked a few more times to chase away the blurriness in his vision, and found himself staring at the roof of a claustrophobically sterile room. Pain shot up his jaw when he yawned, and only then did he realize that his face had been dressed in bandages.

"Careful, boy," the voice - Ujiyasu's, he realized about a second belatedly - kept him from trying to move his equally pained arms to his throbbing chin. He craned his neck to get a better look, then tried to push himself upright when the voice still remained disembodied. "Don't try to sit up. Both your wrists are dislocated."

The warning came a second too late, and Masamune grunted when his arms gave out and his head hit the rough pillow. Ujiyasu's steps echoed off the walls as he drew closer, and the Cragspurite loomed over his prisoner - that he was a prisoner at all was something almost inconceivable to the Avian - before sitting cross-legged next to him. Ujiaysu's mien was bruised and bloodied, but between preexisting scars and the lack of a face-wrap, he looked in perfect health compared to Masamune. Neither spoke for the next few minutes, Ujiyasu just looking down at the One-Eyed Dragon with his typical stony face, while Masamune only stared back with an increasingly fracturing facade.

"Here to gloat? Bask in your victory? See what you've reduced me to?" the Avian spat out, barely managing to keep from snarling or pushing himself upright. Ujiyasu's lips tightened, but he relaxed his shoulders with a heavy sigh.

"Not gloat or bask," the Cragspurite replied, calmly. Masamune's nostrils flared, but he allowed his head to sink an inch deeper into the pillow. "To regret that it ever had to come to this."

There was a moment of dead silence, broken by an unsteady gulp on Masamune's part. Not being able to bring himself to make eye contact with one of the fallen gods of his childhood, he settled for addressing the ceiling.

"You could have intervened," despite the newfound shakiness, the Avian's voice still had its perennial conviction. "You could have saved him."

Ujiyasu, grim-faced, nodded quietly. "I could've tried, yes."

Part of Masamune had been hoping for contrarianism, for cause for an argument: something to flare up the rage he had long suppressed in a last ditch effort to avoid actually having to openly discuss what had driven him for the past four years.

"Why then?" he asked, eye still straining at the beams above.

"I wanted to protect central Ransei, Avia included," he replied, causing Masamune's head to tilt in his direction, mouth parted in outraged disbelief. Ujiyasu let out another sigh. "Me, Shingen, Kenshin - we were all playing the great game. Shingen moves into Yaksha to bolster it against myself, then Kenshin invades Terrera. Kenshin then forms an alliance with Viperia, and I flank both with one in Chrysalia. Had I gotten involved in putting down the rebellion your uncle stirred up, that would've brought virtually all of central Ransei down on the last neutral kingdom in it, and certainly one of those campaign-happy fools into Yoshiaki's camp. Maybe both. The only way for a deescalation was to let Avia sort out its own affairs."

Masamune turned back to the ceiling, as silent as the day of his first kill.

"My father admired you," the Avian finally acknowledged after finding his voice again. Ujiyasu just quietly nodded again.

"Do you think he would have wanted you to go on the warpath?" it was asked after a second's hesitation and without any malice - and so Masamune actually found himself treading over old ground that he had never had to voice.

"He ordered the shot that brought peace to Avia," Masamune said, sounding as detached as humanly possible. "But that would be moot if another kingdom decided to invade. Conquering a region built on war was the only the only way I saw a lasting peace," he closed his eye and let out a choked sigh, finding it impossible to keep emotion out of his voice any longer. "And I had it within my grasp, too!" despite the protest and the flash of pain, he managed to ball up his hands. "Had that damned Auroran not dropped out of the sky, I would have been able to sweep through the southeast and force a treaty!"

Masamune blinked away the edge in his voice and let out another heavy sigh. Ujiyasu just watched with the same, flat disposition he had before.

"And if you lost Avia because of your wars?" the Cragspurite asked.

"Then I would have inevitably lost it in peace too," the captive replied, before angling his head back at Ujiyasu. "Even you, with the combined armies of four kingdoms and the strongest castle in Ransei, were still brought down by Nobunaga."

Ujiyasu found himself unable to respond, and Masamune just rolled over to turn his back to the warlord.

"If only I had been born a decade earlier..." he moaned out. Ujiyasu stood and turned to leave.

"What next?" Masamune's voice echoed out when the door slid open. Ujiyasu, knowing the Avian was still uncomfortably resting on his side, didn't bother to look back.

"Not my call, and that 'damned Auroran' is missing too."

The door slid shut. That meant the woman he had been holding captive for the past weeks would be deciding his fate. Masamune closed his eye and tried to fight off the impending migraine.

How had she even managed to escape to begin with? She was wearing his colors when she saved his life - at least the method was obvious enough. But the means were far from it. He had banked on her not actually mustering up the willpower to use the dagger he had returned to her, and as unlikely as the idea of her going against every observable character trait to actually use it was, the idea of her somehow using it to beat a guard with an exponentially larger weapon was even more absurd. She had to have had some outside-

Masamune blinked, and then allowed his eye to narrow as he felt the first genuine flash of rage since his humiliating duel with his ex-hostage's brother.

Done in by a monferno.

* * *

Kazumi, having given up the ghost on trying to find her brother, decided to address the other specter that had forced itself into her life. The Auroran's hand wavered over the door for a good half-minute before she finally forced herself to brush aside her reservations along with the rice paper.

Of all the things she had expected to see, the warlord of Avia, covered in bandages and being fast asleep, was not one of them.

Maybe it was that the idea of someone she had come to associate with an inexorable, foolhardy diligence being so weak he had to convalesce, but the sheer notion of him actually being vulnerable seemed incongruous after so blatantly flaunting Nobunaga's rule.

A grunt came from the cot and Kazumi froze. Masamune's head tossed her way - his eye was squeezed shut and his hair was glued to his face with a cold sweat - before he whimpered and rolled over. Kazumi frowned: he looked almost pitiable.

She took a few steps closer and, trading one awkward scenario for another, Masamune shot upright with a panicked shout, vivid vestiges of his subconscious melding into his surroundings. His gaze immediately fell on her, and between ragged, labored breaths the fog of terror in his eye dissipated in the face of recognition.

"Oh. It's you," he said, anti-climatically and reservedly, before falling back onto the cot. "Almost mistook you for that beast."

Kazumi blinked, and then realized who her prisoner was talking about. Her lips curled into a small frown; not over the slight towards her brother like she should have, but that part of her silently agreed with the sentiment after the events of the day. She pushed aside any outrage she might have felt as she approached the cot, knowing full well by now the last-minute riposte was just one of Masamune's favorite obfuscations.

Even still, he was her prisoner now, and she wanted him to acknowledge it - dignifying his remark one way or another would just let him frame the conversation. So she sat next to him, silent and statuesque, watching him out the corner of her eyes. He stared back for a good minute before restraining a growl and acquiescing.

"Your side won. You have Avia at your mercy. There. What now?"

She stayed silent for a good minute, digesting the terms she was about to offer.

"I've talked with Ujiyasu about it, and..." Kazumi pursed her lips and fought back the unease she felt in the pit of her stomach. "And given the way I've observed you behave, I agree with him - your rule of Avia will be preserved, while you and your army will be paroled to it on a number of conditions."

His face remained still, demeanor pointedly reserved, and finally opened a dry mouth after a few seconds.

"Such as?"

"You'll swear fealty to me," Kazumi pretended to ignore the twitch at the corner of Masamune's eye. She knew it would bruise his pride either way, but better to not ask him to take an oath to the man who he blamed for ruining his life's mission. "And I would like you to pay a yearly visit to Aurora."

" _I_?" he replied, almost in disbelief, to which Kazumi just nodded with something approaching reservation. Masamune huffed and sunk back into his pillow.

"How is Magoichi?"

Kazumi allowed the fraction of a frown to become a grimace. She had visited the castle's sick ward where many of Avia's warriors who had a run-in with her brother were being treated. Masamune's lieutenant had been one of the worst cases.

"He'll recover," she said, echoing the noncommittal words of the attending physician. The bullet had went clean through, at least, but the sight still made her sick. "How did he get injured?"

Both of them were aware she was asking a question she already knew the answer to. Espeon had already divulged its role in the battle, much to her outrage, and she had noticed the way a number of Avians in the infirmary had subtly shrank away when she passed by. But she needed to hear it from him. Masamune's eye narrowed in a thinly-restrained resentment.

"Your brother," there was a pointed, animalistic pause. "Goaded me into using my pistols and decided Magoichi would be a better target," Kazumi exhaled and nodded quietly, while Masamune just let out a dark chuckle as his gaze turned glassy. "The look I saw in his eyes was the same-"

The Warlord of Avia blinked self-consciously and quickly cut himself off. But he could practically hear Kazumi arc an eyebrow at his slip. Maybe it was just exhaustion, or having come to open terms with so much of the past already that one more on the pile would do no harm.

"It was the same look I saw on my mother's face when..." Masamune said breathlessly, ignoring the short hitch in his throat. "When I woke up to her sticking a knife in my eye."

Kazumi slowly gaped, a number of loose thoughts coalescing into a coherent theory.

_"In his right eye."_

In the same eye he had shot his father. No amount of distance from the actual events could keep the chill away from her spine. Masamune noticed the look on her face and took some small measure of vindication from it. Kazumi desperately wracked her mind for a different topic to distract herself from the parallel Masamune had drawn.

"Do you have any knowledge of Nobunaga's overall strategy for the war?"

Masamune frowned.

"Nothing beyond him refraining from actually intervening," his eye narrowed as some vaguely familiar sense of rage began to well up in him. "Sometimes I found myself wondering if he was so desperate for absolute loyalty that he would just let Aurora take over the southeast-"

He cut himself off with a breathless gasp as memories of the duel - and what her brother had been turned into - finally forced themselves to the forefront of his thoughts. Kazumi inched closer in concern as he stared up wordlessly at the ceiling, and the Avian rolled over to avoid having to look at her dainty features as the last of the dots violently connected themselves.

" _That..._ that was his plan, of course it was..." he uttered, staring almost catatonically at the bandages covering his hands. "Insane. But brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. No one would ever seriously consider it.."

"Masamune?" hearing his name - from her, of all people, and the first time she had used it when talking to him no less - shook him out of the stupor he had fallen into. He inhaled, almost dizzily, and then turned back to her.

"Nobunaga's already won the war, that's why he's not doing anything," the Avian said, making eye contact with her for the first time in their conversation. "Destroy his empire and you'll just create it for him. Falter or fail and he'll have someone else lined up. He did with me."

Kazumi stared back at him, clueless and looking even more concerned. For a brief moment, he almost divulged the particulars and suspected the conspiracy her brother now found himself victim to. And then, for a reason he refused to admit to himself, he stopped short of telling her a truth that would have visibly left her broken - and himself, even as a prisoner, vindicated in the power he held. Masamune only closed his eye and sighed in something approaching disappointment.

"I'm not thinking straight - guess he did more damage than I thought. Sorry."

The Auroran frowned - that he had apologized at all served as all the clarification she needed - but decided not to press it further. She stood to leave.

"Wait," Masamune surprised even himself at how quickly he said it. Kazumi paused, but didn't take her place at his side again. "Why in Distortion do you even care? After everything I've done. And don't say it's because I saved your life; we saved each other, and then you saved me again."

For the first time in years, Masamune found himself asking a question he needed an answer to.

"Because of everything you've done," Kazumi repeated stately, finding herself keeping the ever-elusive eye contact with him this time. "It may be easy to dismiss you, just like we were dismissed, but dismissing something doesn't resolve it. And when I look at you, I see what could have been. For you and for myself," she paused, mulling over her next statement, and quickly resumed the air of confidence she had momentarily dropped. "And I don't want everything you've gone through to have to be in vain either."

When Masamune found himself unable to respond, she turned to the door.

"I accept your terms for surrender," he uttered, defeated and belatedly, as she slid the panel open. Kazumi turned back, gave a small nod, and then stepped into the hallway.

Masamune allowed his dreams to overtake him again.

* * *

Kazumi didn't have to wait long for something else to occupy her attentions. She had gone onto one of the keep's balconies in hopes of being able to spot her brother somewhere within the castle grounds - as difficult as it would be, with the sun almost beyond the horizon - and was greeted with the sight of the rest of the army returning from Viperia. Giving up thoughts of her twin for a moment, she raced down to the castle grounds as quickly as her legs would carry her. Part of her screamed for propriety as she pushed her way through the returning warriors - and more than a few awed stares - searching for her tacticians.

"Looks like Lord Tadashi-" she stopped when she heard the voice, head snapping in the direction it had come from. She found Hanbei and Kanbei, sitting on a bench, staring back at her. Kanbei blinked a few times. Hanbei did not. Kazumi spared a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure there were no onlookers before racing over to Hanbei and wrapping him in a hug.

"Too tight!" he objected, but returned her embrace. She just pressed in harder. He felt steady even against the erratic pounding in her chest, and acting upon that she shifted her grip to his shoulders, and pressed her lips against his. It was uneve, chaste, nervous and - in both her and Hanbei's minds - all too brief, as Kazumi quickly pulled a good two feet back when Kanbei coughed uncomfortably. Both their faces were flushed, and she barely managed to keep from trembling at the sensation of her first kiss.

"Good to see you too..." Hanbei said breathlessly, gaze distant.

"Perhaps, my lady," Kanbei voiced, slowly and authoritatively, as he rose from his seat. "We should head into the keep, and you can regale to us how you escaped."

Kazumi blinked, nodded, and then blushed sheepishly, the better part of her thinking how girlish she had just acted. But that was pushed aside as Hanbei stood and proffered his arm with a small, affectionate smile: she slipped her hand around the tactician's lean musculature, smiling back and managing to synchronize their pace after a few choppy steps.

After the past weeks, after today's events, it was a time for repose.

* * *

The moon was full and looming near, bathing the mountain peak and everything below it in its luminescence; even Oichi, no matter how hard she tried to cling to the shadows she had followed Tadashi through. A harvest moon would normally be cause for celebration - the Dragnovian imagined Hanbei and Kazumi were out stargazing this very moment - but Tadashi seemed to take that as cue to draw off to an isolated peak parallel to Cragspur's castle. Barren, save a few dying trees, and devoid of any life, it was a stark contrast to the man-made mountain across from it: where dozens of people would gather to distantly watch the sky, here a solitary man drew close to it.

And perhaps it was just perspective, but the amber orb seemed all the bigger here - and Tadashi's silhouette at the foot of it even darker.

Oichi let out the breath she had been holding in from when she first caught sight of his scarlet-illuminated figure, drawing on the last dregs of the adulation she had received for her part in today's battle to steel her nerves. She took a moment to dig the head of the familiar rose out from within her clothes again: it was browned and withered, but faintly, against the delicate touch of the moonlight, she could still see a few specks of white on the petals. Shivering against the feverish breeze, Oichi flattened her palm and let the flower dissipate into the crisp night air as she mustered the last of her resolve. She stepped out from the shade of the tree she had rested under and fully into the moonlight, dead leaves crunching loudly against her sandals. She heard a quiet chuckle rise from the kneeling figure, the cheer made even more incongruous with him remaining utterly unmoving.

"You found me," the sonorous voice rang out, like it had when it announced the nearing unification of Ransei.

"You let me," she replied, knowing he could have easily disappeared into the ether again rather than staying put in one very visible location. He rose - letting her catch a glimpse of his helmet and sword, lying inconspicuously on a boulder in front of him - and turned to meet the princess. Her eyes widened at what she saw: at first she thought it was just a trick of the light, but when Tadashi took another step forward the faint, silvery luster in his hair refused to fade. Distantly, she realized this was the first time since he was back in a cot that she had seen him without his helmet on.

"What am I, Oichi?" he said colorlessly, as if his sharpened gaze could see her thoughts. Oichi frowned, shivered again, but kept her composure.

"Desperate," she replied softly. Tadashi's own façade fractured, tugging the corners of his lips downwards as he turned away to face disjointed, anachronistic images of his duel with Masamune.

_"Beast-possessed degenerate!"_

"Yes..." Tadashi uttered, staring vacantly at his discarded sword and helmet, and the Umbreon sleeping next to them. He blinked them away and cleared his throat, thinking back to the first time he had seen his twin in weeks. "I wanted to step out of Kazumi's shadow and save her - to see my sister again." He resisted the urge to ball his hands into fists. "Not only did I _fail_ yet again, but when I did see her... nothing. I felt nothing. And so I couldn't bear to face her."

Oichi closed her eyes and asked a question she doubted he even knew the answer to.

"What do you want, Tadashi?"

Tadashi looked back at her, lips parted, and then spun back to face the moon.

"To end this conflict and go home."

Oichi frowned; she would have accepted it, be it a genuine desire or just a tripe justification to hide that he had nothing beyond a nebulous goal, had it not been obvious he was on the verge of saying something wildly different seconds before.

"But there's something else, too," the Dragnovian replied, taking another step forward. "Something you're afraid of saying aloud."

Another sharp breeze tugged at her skirts and his cape. A thick cough erupted from his lips, ending as soon as it began.

"It's cold, Oichi," Tadashi said, almost whispering. "Winter will be here soon. Please go back to the castle before you catch a cold."

She felt her hackles rise at his redirection, fists balling into hands at the flash of genuine anger at the man before her.

"You didn't stay here just to send me back," she seethed. Even with his back turned, she could still feel the flinch that broke out over his features. "And I am SICK of watching the people I love throw their lives away because they can't bother to open up!"

There was dead silence for a good minute after Oichi had exhaled: she was just as shocked as he was not only over her flagrant admission, but that she had it within herself to elevate her voice to such a commanding octave.

"Then so be it," Tadashi finally replied, hollowly, as he shambled upwards. It reminded her of the last time she had entered the tower her brother was so fond of. He took a few methodical, heavy steps forward until his figure had blocked out the better part of the moon for Oichi. " _This_ has nothing to do with opening up Oichi," they both knew in the greater context that was a lie. "What I truly want... is for my death to have more meaning than my life," he gaze drifted upwards, well above her. "A fitting end to my story."

Oichi stayed in stunned silence for a good half-minute before finding her words amidst her pity.

"No one is asking you to sacrifice yourself, Tadashi," she said. Tadashi prefaced his response with a huff, and she saw an equally prodigious amount of pity in his eyes as they returned to her.

"You are rarely given the choice, Oichi," his voice was soft to the point of delicate, as if he was afraid she would break if he was any louder. "I already lost my sister once. I almost lost you," her breath hitched when his thumb brushed over her cheek. "And I would rather die than see you or her suffer again. If that means I must become a monster, or that my life is such insurance, then that is a price I am willing to pay."

"And if your death is what kills me?"

This time his breath hitched, and he found himself unable to speak. He finally turned away from her, striding back towards the moon.

"And if I don't stand alone in this, then it could fall on you or anyone else - and I would have failed yet again."

Oichi's face softened, and she found herself striding up behind the Auroran and placing a numb hand on his shoulder.

"Then let us be alone, together," he turned to meet her, but not enough to shake her grip. "I can't force you to change your mind, Tadashi," Oichi gave a heartwarming-smile and slipped her hands into his. "But I would hope to be a reason for you to want to survive."

"I won't make a promise I can't guarantee, Oichi," he replied, face and hands unmoving. Despite the pit that had formed in Oichi's stomach, she kept up her smile.

"But I can promise that you won't fail me, Tadashi, no matter what happens."

Tadashi's face finally softened, eyes closing and brow dropping as he exhaled with a quiet nod.

"Then let us be alone. Together," his left hand dipped to her side while his right tightened around hers. Oichi's heart thudded against her chest, and despite the cold her cheeks flamed with the same rose color her hair approximated. He took a step forward, and she found herself reflectively taking a step back. Tugging on her hand slightly, Tadashi then took a step to the right and she followed. They quickly fell into a gentle, deliberate rhythm; Oichi stumbled momentarily, only for Tadashi to allow himself to stagger to match her pace. She giggled - he returned it with one of the self-assured, boyish grins that his younger self had so frequently worn.

They continued their dance under the amber moon well after the rest of Cragspur had retired.


	49. Chapter 49

The harvest moon guided their steps back to the castle, sanguinary light casting a reddish, drunken gleam on all of Cragspur. Tadashi, secretly, thought it was fitting for the festivities he had watched overtake the castle grounds. To Oichi, it was ominous; with the celebrations having well been over, it was a vacuous reminder of impermanence.

To Kazumi, who met them at the side gate they both had snuck through, it had been something else they missed. Tadashi stopped at the sight of his sister: she had Hanbei's coat draped over her shoulders, arms crossed against the cool night breeze, and looked almost contrite. Tadashi let out a heavy sigh, withdrawing his arm from Oichi's and letting it fall to his side.

"Oichi..."

The Dragnovian princess gave a silent nod, understanding his unsaid request, and quietly shuffled past the two twins and into the castle. Kazumi watched her pass with an inscrutable gaze before locking eyes with her brother. She halfway expected him to have used her momentary distraction to slip into one of the numerous shadows surrounding her, but Tadashi remained standing where he had been, a silent constant.

"Tadashi-"

"I can't run from this forever," he finished, in a more blunt fashion than she would have phrased. Kazumi nodded, and then suppressed a shudder - even wearing the armor she used to escape from Avia, Kazumi still felt the sting of the night breeze. Her twin just silently exhaled at the sight, breath forming a fog that hid him for a split-second. When the veil lifted, shadows had fallen over his face.

"You would be correct," Tadashi replied, voice cutting through the cold night air and straight to her bones. "And so I intend to follow this path straight to its heart."

He took a step towards the gate. She moved to the side, right in his path. Tadashi stopped at the scowl on his twin's face.

"Tell me what's wrong, brother," she ordered, tone dancing the fine line between concern and desperation.

"I can't bear you to watch," Tadashi replied, turning to move right as she took another step forward. Kazumi's let out a silent gasp as she was finally able to get a good look at her twin's face; the still reddened lines dancing down his cheek and across his chin, how his temples had grown a paler shade of brown than the rest of his hair, and the forlorn resignation in his overly-polished gaze - all permanent reminders of what she had stumbled upon. Of what her absence - her lack of support - had driven him to. A prolonged, elaborate self-destruction.

For her sake.

"I have already proven my obsolescence," Tadashi finally continued when she found her legs unresponsive, before cutting himself off with an abrupt gulp. Kazumi managed to withdraw from his gaze long enough to notice that the corners of his lips were trembling. "This is the only recourse left for me. _Please_ ; allow me this necessity - this chance at redemption."

Kazumi's lips remained parted - voice frozen in horror at what she had just processed. Tadashi remained unmoving, gaze fixated on something far beyond her field of vision. She finally managed to stammer out some words, subconsciously pulling Hanbei's coat closer around herself.

"We will be leaving first thing in the morning for Masamune's formal surrender," Kazumi uttered without an ounce of vigor. "I'll need you."

Tadashi finally moved past her.

"I shall always be your shadow, sister," he replied, voice firm. Kazumi felt feeling return to her knees and spun around to object.

Her brother had vanished without a trace.

* * *

Masmune, drowsy as he was for having been forced out of bed before dawn, wished he was still sleeping. Having made his peace with reality made it no less of a nightmare.

They - himself, his lieutenants, and virtually every major figure in the Anti-Nobunaga coalition - were currently standing and freezing in the middle of a makeshift war camp that had been pitched at the foot of Avia's castle for the occasion. But they were off to the sides, while he and Kazumi were the figurative and literal centers of attention: she struck something resembling regality, even against a visible discomfort with the early-morning Avian frost. He dismissed the thought as perspective, having taken the knee in front of her as he begrudgingly repeated the words to an oath of fealty in the treaty - one that, in something that could be described as nothing less than an act of grace, Kazumi had allowed him to edit the language of. He imagined most of the onlookers were too surprised he was even making an attempt at sounding sincere to notice just how awkward he felt, being forced to swear himself to someone he couldn't bring himself to even resent.

When he concluded, the silence hung in the air like a blade over his neck, his own gaze low enough so he wouldn't have to see the imaginary specter looming over him. Kazumi broke it with a stiff, almost uncomfortable turn to the Warlord standing behind her: her brother. The beast. Tadashi stepped forward, giving the Avian a perfect view of the emerging scar that started just below his left temple and ended at his jawline, and detached a scabbard from his belt. _His_ sword. Kazumi took the scabbard in both hands, seeming to admire the Avian calligraphy emblazoned on it for a brief moment. The other Auroran then stepped back into the shadows and Kazumi turned back to the warlord of Avia, proffering his confiscated blade. Despite the habitual throbbing in his wrists and the pain that shot up his arm when he flexed his fingers, Masamune looked up and gripped the lacquer. Her hands left the blade and he brought the steel down to his hip, standing and offering a pained bow to his liege.

Kazumi bowed back with more ease.

He turned wordlessly, nearly staggering in his first step but recovering seamlessly as he silently marched out of the camp, Magoichi and Kojuro in tow, and towards the awaiting Avian warriors. Only half of the warriors he left with were present: part of the terms he agreed to, where the wounded - virtually a euphemism for those who had a run-in with the lesser of the twins - would stay in Cragspur while the difference would be made up from Illusio. In Masamune's mind, it was perhaps the subtlest way of hitting him over the head with a cudgel. His eye scanned over the gathered warriors, and he parted his lips only to quickly close them, unable to find anything to say to the subjects he had failed.

"It's time to go home," he finally settled upon - loud enough to be heard by all but not to give the impression of panache. But what he momentarily lacked in bravado his army made up for: the sight of every warrior in front of him snapping to attention, like they had when he announced the gambit that cost him his freedom, made him stifle a sniffle. The cavalcade of Avians began their march back to the mountaintop castle, followed at a fair distance by Kenshin and most of the Illusites he brought with him. Kazumi watched them - him - go silently, as if it was a funeral march, even as the rest of the camp broke out into quiet chatter. It was when she heard her brother turn - breaking his statuesque, catatonic posture - that she also noticed a new voice had been added to the clamor.

"Welcome back," Shingen said to his ninja. The Warlord of Terrera had turned around to face her, his calm voice a stark contrast to the obvious embarrassment of Yukimura at having been caught unawares. Kunoichi just wore her usual smile. "I see Nixtorm treated you well. As for your mission?"

It was Kunoichi's turn to blink, and she turned to look at the canvas she had wormed herself through.

"He was-"

"Well," Motonari finished. Ever the gentleman, he had come in - completely unnoticed - through the proper entrance. She felt Espeon prickle through their link and even Tadashi shift uncomfortably at his failure to notice the Greenleafer. Captivity had given him a sharp beard, bangs that cast shadows over his face, and the general appearance of a castaway, but she could still make out the small grin on his face. "I daresay that I've missed a few things."

His statement broke the tension in the air: before the strategist could react, the Greenleafers present immediately mobbed their lord, followed by the Violighters, Hanbei, Kanbei, Oichi and even Kazumi herself. Shingen just chortled at the sight of the mossy man getting enwrapped in Serperior's best attempt at a hug.

"It's good to see you too," Motonari choked out, Serperior relenting its vicegrip of a coil in something approaching sheepishness. He gave the Regal Pokémon's snout an affectionate rub with one hand and wrapped the other arm around Takakage, his son having taken the opportunity to cling to his side with a clutch that would put the Grass Type to shame. The warlord of Greenleaf blinked a few times as his link with his partner came roaring back to the forefront of his mind's eye, his senses sharpening to take in the entirety of the camp with a single glance. He turned away, momentarily, to take in the mountaintops of Avia and the army marching up to the castle, completely unaware of his return.

"You all have come a very long way," he uttered, eyes distant as he turned his gaze back to the warriors grouped before him. His soft, earthy eyes landed on Kazumi. The grin returned with an undercurrent of dryness. "And this isn't my moment of triumph, I'm afraid. Though I wouldn't mind sharing stories over a cup of tea."

Kazumi smiled back, even over the faint chill that had gripped her when he spoke.

* * *

"Are we agreed?" Tadashi's imperious voice echoed off the walls of Cragspur's war room. Shingen and Ujiyasu remained unmoving, the Terreran raising his masked visage to meet the Auroran standing - so rigidly straight it almost looked painful - on the other side of the table. Ujiyasu just continued staring down at the plans for a simultaneous attack on Spectra and Valora.

"It's a bold strategy..." the conditional hung in the air like the sands in Shingen's own kingdom.

"But it hinges upon Nobunaga not moving, yes," Tadashi finished for the warlord of Terrera.

"Masamune was convinced that Nobunaga wouldn't interfere in his campaigning," Ujiyasu voiced, eyes shifting to Dragnor's location on the map. "He was right in the end."

"I concur with that sentiment," Motonari said, drawing the eyes of the table to himself. The Greenleafer - having gotten himself a shave and a cup of tea - had been content on silently sitting on the sidelines for the meeting, watching the others. Shingen blinked in his direction and then turned back to Tadashi. The Auroran had arced an eyebrow in Motonari's direction but was otherwise unchanged.

"It could be he just wanted to weed out traitors in his ranks, and if there is a time that Nobunaga would change his attitude towards our offensive it would be now..." Shingen frowned, forcing back the sense of trepidation that consumed him. "But there's still only one Nobunaga - Groundon be praised - and we would stand a better chance of getting a foothold to threaten Dragnor with if we attacked on two fronts."

Shingen finally gave a nod in affirmation at Tadashi, but the nagging instinct that he was being played refused to subside.

"As Lord Kenshin's representative, I approve," Kanetsugu, who had also adopted a wait-and-see approach for the meeting, echoed. Shingen found the Illusite's presence a welcome mental distraction: while his verdict would have never been up for question, Kenshin having his protégé stand in for a meeting as vital as this while he remained in Avia had raised a number of concerns with both himself and Ujiyasu. Kanetsugu's explanation had been that his lord wanted to be there in case Nobunaga decided to attack - a perfectly believable story, but Shingen suspected the real culprit was something else entirely and his rival was just too proud to show it.

"Then we have our roles," Tadashi said, breaking Shingen out of his musings. "We march before daybreak tomorrow."

"'cuse the interruption," Kunoichi said as she, true to fashion, dropped down from the rafters and landed behind Shingen rather than use the doorway that was only a few feet away from him. Her entrance successfully grabbed the attentions of those present, but hers landed on Motonari. "Our friend from Nixtorm is here requesting an audience, and Lady Kazumi would like you to be present."

She levelled a finger at the Greenleafer for emphasis. He only chuckled through the last of his tea.

"It appears that I have developed a bad habit of getting myself entangled in advisory roles," he said, standing and brushing off his coat. "Excuse me, gentlemen. Though I do believe the young master has decided this meeting to be adjourned himself."

Shingen blinked and looked back to Tadashi while the Greenleafer and his ninja left. As Motonari said, the Auroran had left without alerting any of them.

"He's going to put Kunoichi out of a job before long," Ujiyasu grumbled before taking a whiff of his pipe. Shingen just waved off the comment.

"Think we should go listen in?" the Cragspurite asked after a moment of silence.

"Too many present would make some of us redundant," the Terreran replied, excusing Kanetsugu with a small wave as he trotted over to the window. "Besides - I trust the lass to handle one of Nobunaga's flunkeys, and say what you will about him, but Motonari is at least an expert in the field of blowing smoke."

"I seem to recall that being someone else's specialty," the Cragspurite said, pointedly, through his pipe.

"You're one to talk!" Shingen laughed out. "C'mon, let's go get a drink and wait this out."

The churning in Mitsuhide's stomach only quickened as the minutes dragged on. He glanced anxiously around the throne room he had been seated in for the past - three, four? - minutes, Nobunaga's order flitting about in the corners of his psyche and materializing in every empty corner of the spacious chamber. There had been no threat to it, no impetus - only a knowing smirk, and that made it all the crueler. He had lost a hostage, and his atonement would be the ransom of an entire region. The distant sound of a door sliding open cut off his thoughts. The Nixtormite looked up and was greeted with the sight of his hosts taking their seats across from him.

On the left, with immaculate posture, was Nobunaga's sister. To the right, greeting him with a sympathetic smile that made his skin crawl, was his former prisoner. In the center, dressed in a tasteful mixture of whites and purples, was who he assumed to be the Warlord of Aurora. The man in blue was almost taken aback at her youth - she looked to be a year or two younger than Masamune, even.

For Kazumi's part, she only needed to take a single glance at Mitsuhide to feel self-conscious about her own ponytail.

"Lord Mitsuhide," Motonari spoke up before an awkward silence could settle between the two parties. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

Mitsuhide, who prided himself on being the most perceptive of Nobunaga's generals, infuriatingly found himself unable to discern if the sleepy smile on the Greenleafer's face was authentic.

Maybe he just didn't want to entertain the thought it was more genuine than his own.

"You as well, Lord Motonari," he bit out, for Gracia's sake.

"Does my brother want peace?" Oichi asked, voice teetering on impatience. Mitsuhide felt his throat hitch as she cut straight to the point.

"Yes," he replied with complete sincerity - for as much of a mockery it was situationally, he could at least answer the question in the abstract. The two women exchanged shocked glances while Motonari's gaze just took on a knowing inflection. There was a pregnant pause as the three waited for Mitsuhide to continue while he gathered up what little scraps of his self-respect remained. Kazumi was about to interject with an offer for refreshments at the sight of the Nixtormite looking on the verge of vomiting when he finally delivered his message.

"Lord Nobunaga requests your unconditional surrender."

The silence was so palpable that Mitsuhide could hear the collective blink. Mitsuhide watched as the Auroan's placid, dainty mien gave way for a hard scowl that would give any battle-hardened Valoran a run for their money.

"Is this som-"

"Please-" Mitsuhide surprised himself most of all with the amount of desperation in his voice. The Nixtormite cleared his throat and offered an apologetic bow. "Forgive me, I spoke out of term."

Kazumi's face softened with a sigh as the messenger brought himself back up to level, his own face dusted red.

"You may tell Nobunaga that we will be happy to discuss further terms when we reach Dragnor," the Auroran said, firmly, but with an air of pity. Mitsuhide let out the breath that was beginning to pound against his chest.

"Then I believe our business here is concluded," the Nixtormite said, almost as a whisper, proffering another bow to the trio. "If you'll excuse me."

"Allow me to escort you out," the Nixtormite's eyes narrowed at the Greenleafer's offer, but that was all he was willing to show.

"I can't impose," Mitsuhide replied with as much diplomatic air as he could muster. "I've already intruded enough on your schedules as is."

"Oh, nonsense," the Greenleafer replied with a small chuckle. "I've found myself rather wanting for purpose as of late, actually."

Kazumi smiled and Oichi let out a quiet giggle. Even Mitsuhide found himself fighting against the corners of his own lips - he saved face with a curt nod. He had already caused one scene, a second would be the final humiliation.

"Very well."

Silence reigned between them as they weaved through the castle grounds until they arrived in the lower ward.

"How is your daughter?" Mitsuhide refused to dignify the question. The mossy man let out a sigh.

"I admire you, you know," Motonari watched as the Nixtormite's shoulders tensed and then relaxed in a split second. "You came here knowing full well it was an impossible task, but you tried to prevent the war from reaching your doorstep regardless."

Mitsuhide stopped in front of the final gatehouse, debating whether to regale the Greenleafer with some platitude to expedite his departure. Curiosity prevailed over his better judgment, and he turned to finally face Motonari.

"And what would you have done?"

"What would I have done?" Motonari whispered to himself, frowning as memories long buried bubbled to the surface of his minds eye. For a shadow of a second, to Mitsuhide it seemed that the Greenleafer was more miserable than he would ever have to comprehend. "I... would have sullied my name and struck at the heart of the problem, and spared the region any further bloodshed," Motonari sighed. "Better that then let it fall to our children."

"And what is the heart?"

Motonari's gaze darkened as he returned it to Mitsuhide.

"We are."

Mitsuhide nodded breathlessly, unable to think of anything more to say - unable to think of anything else than the task at hand.

"Excuse me," he murmured, stepping through the threshold and setting his sights in Dragnor's direction. The warlord of Greenleaf watched as Mitsuhide's figure slowly began to be swallowed by the slopes and peaks of the mountains.

"Sending Mitsuhide here on an impossible mission just so I could push him over the precipice..." Motonari whispered, folding his arms behind his back. "Let us see if you are just a fool after all, Nobunaga."

* * *

Kazumi, secretly, was glad to see Avia again - not only because it would hopefully be the last time she would have to see it on a campaign, but also because it afforded her one final chance to rest. And even if it was only a temporary reprieve, one that would last only as long as needed to organize the army groups, she was still grateful for the chance to take in the early-morning scenery.

"All things considered, I wouldn't mind living here," she yawned out, eyes taking in the mountain peaks - purplish from the sunrise - from her spot resting against a dead tree on the hilly outskirts of the castle-town.

"Hm?" Hanbei, only half-awake himself, perked up at her comment. She felt a little guilty about waking him up - peaceful as he looked laying next to her, Pikachu snoring in his lap - but knew it was a matter of time regardless.

"I was under the impression you would have had your fill of Avia by now," Kanbei, leaning against the tree and on her peripheries, book in hand, voiced with more energy than his counterpart.

"I never really got to see Avia from this angle," she replied, finding even the air to be refreshing. "But there's a tranquility to it that I haven't really seen elsewhere."

Hanbei just snorted and closed his eyes again.

"I think it's just because you've spent most of your life in cities, my lady," Kazumi's response was a light punch to his arm, but that only succeeded in making Hanbei chuckle. The Auroran just folded her arms against her chest in her best attempt to hide her own grin.

"Touche," she finally conceded. "So then - what's it like in Spectra?" she arced an eyebrow when his eyes shot open in panic. "You were it's former junior warlord, weren't you?"

The color drained from Hanbei's face.

"H-How did you-" he stammered.

"You think you're the only one who talks to Kanbei?" Kazumi said with a small chuckle, finding the very idea that he was capable of panic to be endearing. Hanbei turned to try shooting a look at his doubtlessly smug counterpart, only to find a mass of wood obstructing his vision. He turned back to Kazumi with a sigh.

"You're... You're not mad I withheld information?"

"No," Kazumi replied, straightening out her lips. "While I hope we won't hold back anything from each other in the future, I understand why you'd be hesitant to share," her eyes glanced downwards. "If only I had that understanding earlier..."

Hanbei leaned back against the tree and entwined his fingers with hers. She squeezed back.

"Well, to answer your question - it's more alive at night than the day. Figuratively and literally. Probably has the most festivals in all of Ransei. Also has the largest cemetery - and more than a few would-be conquerors have paid it a visit." Hanbei said, with a small amount of dry mirth. "Aside from that and it's forests, there's not much else to say."

"Then why did you leave?" it was Hanbei's turn to arc an eyebrow.

"He didn't tell you?"

"I wanted to hear it from you," Kazumi replied. Hanbei nodded and found his gaze turning down to Pikachu, still sound asleep in his lap.

"It started with this guy," he said, running his free hand through Pikachu's coarse fur. "In Spectra, if something's on death's door... you're supposed to put it out its misery." Kazumi's eyes flittered down to the Electric Type napping, blissfully unaware of their conversation. "I was ostracized, and if it weren't for Lady No, I would've been exiled. And then after Chrysalia invaded... she just changed. Nobunaga made her miserable, and I couldn't stand his attitude. I asked to be released from my oath, she acquiesced, and I wound up in Ignis."

A smile had managed to work its way onto his features in the pause that followed.

"And then I met you. Which reminds me..." Hanbei withdrew his hand from hers and reached into his coat. Kazumi peered down at the item he pushed into her hand. "Here, for you."

Kazumi turned the wood over in her hands and gasped as she immediately recognized the Eevee staring back up at her.

"Hanbei, this is beautiful!" every detail - from the contours of the eyes to the patterns in the ruff - had been painstakingly carved, and only complimented the precision of the coloring.

"It was nothing," the tactician said with no small amount of satisfaction at seeing her beam.

"He stayed up all night finishing it," Kanbei voiced from his corner of the tree. Hanbei's faced flushed and he threw his head in the cardinal direction that the traitor was at.

"Kanbei!" neither needed to see the albino to know he was wearing his own quiet grin.

"Regardless, thank you Hanbei," Kazumi said, tearing her gaze away from the figurine long enough to plant a peck on the Ignite's cheek. His blush only grew stronger. Before any of them could continue, the loud rumbling of a conch echoed from the distance. The Auroran sighed.

"Time to go," Hanbei, already on his feet, offered her his hand. She took it.

And Masamune, watching silently from the sanctity of his defiled castle, felt the cogs begin to turn in his head once more.

_"They're waltzing right into a trap,"_ his eye narrowed at the procession of warriors as they began to break off into their respective paths. _"And if Nobunaga acts - then maybe my chances aren't completely gone yet."_

The Avian pivoted away from the window, only to be tugged back to it by a thin string of conscience. He cast another glance out and managed to catch sight of Kazumi - someone he had given his word to - in all her radiance at the head of the Spectra-bound army. Masamune shook his head and stomped over to his cot, pulling the thin sheets over his head as he tried to drown out the echoes in his skull.

_"You swore to do anything to see Avia safe, and the time for guilt to affect your actions is well past,"_ Masamune tossed, dragging his pillow over his head in the process. _"You also swore to her - willingly. And the only thing separating you from that beast is your word."_

The rebuttal of having broken his oath to Nobunaga came and went without any particular weight: he had told Nobunaga he would swear at the point of a sword - the following night he kept his word and released a flurry of profanities that would make any sailor blush.

Masamune let his pillow fall back to the floor with the rest of his thoughts: that he was thinking at all about the sincerity of his oath frightened him.

"Kojuro!" he shouted, and then flinched at how hoarse his voice sounded. The door opened, and his dutiful lieutenant stepped through.

"Sir?"

"Wake me up when the war's been decided," Masamune ordered, wearily, as he rolled over and closed his eye.

* * *

"Finally, the Aurorans have amassed in Avia," Ieaysu's voice echoed off the vaulted ceiling and cold walls of Dragnor's war room as he approached the final item of the emergency council. Mitsuhide had said nothing - he continued staring down at the table Nobunaga's generals had been gathered around, trying to find some hidden pattern in the marbling. "Valora is certainly their target, and they may invade Spectra as well. What are your orders, Lord Nobunaga?"

No one said anything as Nobunaga, solemnly peering out the window, turned around to face his vassals. The Dragnovian's face was as inscrutable as the Hydreigon who perpetually hovered behind him.

"Return to your kingdoms," he rumbled. Mitsuhide's shoulders slumped; he had fully expected the order. Motonari's words came back with a vengeance as he began mentally drawing up plans for a battle at Nixtorm. "Monferno," Mitsuhide blinked and looked up at hearing Nobunaga continue - him, and everyone else present. "Gather your men and set out with Ieyasu. Mitsuhide," the Nixtormite felt himself tense as the Dragnovian's gaze fell on him. "Gather your army and rendezvous me at Honnoji temple."

Honnoji Temple. Located on the key road where the borders of Dragnor, Nixtorm and Valora converged. Close enough to the front lines to reach the battlefield before Aurora could prepare - far away enough that if the battle concluded prematurely, Aurora wouldn't be able to catch them unaware. Far away enough that the front lines would be unaware of _any_ movements until it was too late. Mitsuhide blinked self-consciously - when had his brow furrowed? His attentions turned back to Nobunaga; the man in black had a small, knowing smirk on his face. Like he was aware of - _pleased_ with - the waters Mitsuhide's thoughts were drifting into.

_"Better that then let it fall to our children."_

"As you will," he replied, coldly. For a moment, it almost seemed like Nobunaga was about to chuckle at the amount of steel Mitsuhide put into his voice.

"You have your roles," Nobunaga's eyes flickered to Mitsuhide for a brief second before returning to the rest of the room. "Dismissed."


	50. Chapter 50

Spectra reminded Kazumi too much of Yaksha for comfort. Dark, foreboding forests of dead tress, hard soil and barely-tread paths all combined to give her an overpowering sense of deja vu. But marching at the head of her part of the army, she couldn't allow herself to show any nerves - and Espeon being able to actually sense their surroundings was a massive comfort against the feeling of being watched she had developed the moment they crossed the border. Silently, she wondered if Hanbei had the same sense of foreboding.

"Take a left up here," the tactician cum laude guide said as their group - considerably smaller than the one Tadashi was leading - reached a fork in the gnarled excuse of the road they were treading. She nodded, turned, and then took a cautious look down the path on the right. It was completely indistinguishable from the rest of the road. For a brief moment, her mind wandered to the idea of endlessly traversing the Spectran backwoods, vainly searching for a way out: its own kind of hell. Maybe one of the creatures haunting the forest would end up spiriting her away out of pity.

"Also, keep sharp, we're being watched," Hanbei's voice echoed, drawing her out of her thoughts. Kazumi didn't need to look back to know that he hadn't consulted Kanbei and Lampent; in fact, she could barely keep herself from jumping as the road in front of them was occupied by a spindly figure in white that had not been there a second before. The Auroran settled for blinking, and the phantasm in front of her was replaced with the image of a young woman of considerable beauty. The white of her garb denoted her as a priestess, the red denoted her as a priestess with a sense of fashion. The parasol just seemed an oddity for a cloudy, early winter day, but Kazumi attributed it to what appeared to be an etiolated complexion. The priestess' eyes - accented with a tasteful amount of red eyeliner - flitted over the now stationary army until they landed on the tactician behind Kazumi.

"Hanbei!" she cried out, voice sounding like a siren song, before quickly closing the gap between them with a few upbeat steps.

"Hey Okuni," Hanbei replied, more reservedly than the priestess had - and with more sheepishness than Kazumi had ever seen him succumb to. But there was still more warmth in his voice than she expected. "You haven't aged a day."

"It's good to see you again too," Okuni replied with approximated genuineness, before the corner of her equally rosy lips tugged upwards in a mischievous smile that resembled Hanbei's all too well. She took a half step forwards as if to embrace the expatriate, but seemed to decide against it last second, merely leaving her an inch too close for Kazumi to be comfortable. "As for you, you look even cuter now than when you left."

It was at that point that Kazumi ceased caring about who would see; she threw her reservations into the wintry wind and wrapped an arm around Hanbei's, putting on a toothless smile of a more trenchant stock.

"Yes, he does."

Okuni's attentions finally settled on the Auroran. The small smile the priestess gave her made a chill run down her spine.

"Oh, but you're even cuter," she replied, saccharine voice blasé to the point of redolence. Kazumi's smile lost its edge in the face of the flare spreading across her cheeks - Hanbei just let out a sigh through his nostrils.

"Don't take it personally; she's like that with everyone," the tactician whispered, before clearing his throat and drawing Okuni's eyes back to him.

"I'm guessing you're out here for a reason, Okuni?"

"Yes," the Spectre said, her smile retreating into something more reticent. "Lady No would like to have an audience with you."

Hanbei and Kazumi exchanged glances out of the corner of their eyes, and the former could feel Kanbei glowering behind him. Kazumi, for her part, recognized the gaze on Hanbei's face: panic, not being dissimilar to the surprise worn on his face earlier in the morning. He had doubtlessly prepared for every inevitability except a peaceable one - one that would doubtlessly require his input in a field she knew he was not comfortable with. Kazumi answered for both of them.

"We accept Lady No's generous offer. Lead on."

* * *

If Spectra was a graveyard, then the castle-town was a frequent mourner that managed to maintain a sense of cheer. There seemed to be no end to the colorful banners and lanterns that hung from the tightly-packed buildings flanking them, or hovering overhead from wires - the Auroran wondered if they had stumbled into the middle of preparations for a festival or if it was just the norm for Spectra. She decided against sounding like a tourist and asking Hanbei.

The road Okuni led them down veered away from the castle, peering over the rest of the town like a mausoleum would the rest of a boneyard, and towards an ostentatious - if not equally imposing - temple on what would have been the city's outskirts had it been any smaller. The glances of passersby had been replaced with the watchful eyes of Spectre warriors guarding the approach. A quick glance over them let Kazumi scry the motivations of Spectra's warlord; even if the rest of Spectra's army was at the castle or elsewhere - and from the numbers gathered here she doubted that would be many - the army that had marched into Spectra outnumbered the defenders by a wide margin. Okuni stopped in her gait and turned back to the warriors she had guided through the claustrophobic streets of Spectra, eyes landing solely on the pale tactician in equally pallid white.

"Lady No is waiting," she said. When Kazumi took a step to follow Hanbei, the priestess frowned but decided against objecting. If she noticed Kanbei and his Lampent on the Auroran's trails, she remained equally as silent. The stillness of the chamber they were ushered into seemed to go against the grain of every prior Spectre aesthetic Kazumi had been bombarded with during their time moving through the town. The calligraphy hanging from the walls did not sway with the draft that crept into the room as they entered, the candles did not flicker, and the faint scent of incense refused to part. The Warlord of Spectra, for her part, remained comfortably sprawled out on the pedestal in the back, silently watching as the Aurorans awkwardly took their seats in front of her while Okuni moved to stand off to the side with a trio of statuesque Spectre warriors. There was a moment of heavy silence, made heavier by the oppressively alluring scent in the air, broken when No sat upright, long legs folding underneath her generous figure. Her purple eyes settled on Hanbei, as if he was the one sitting in the center rather than on Kazumi's right.

"Welcome back," No's voice had none of Okuni's flightiness but all of its conspiratorial restraint.

"Lady No," Hanbei replied reservedly. Kazumi resisted the urge to arc an eyebrow - her tactician accorded very few people with the honor of actually using titles with any amount of audible respect. The Auroran didn't know whether to consider that as good or bad. "Forgive me for being forward, but I didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

Amazingly, the Spectre chuckled. Whether it was at Hanbei's taciturnity or Kazumi's visage slipping for a brief second was irrelevant.

"I'm afraid there's little choice to be had here either."

"You called us here to make demands?" Hanbei said, arcing a raven eyebrow. Kazumi, silently, noted that she had thought of numerous ways to have made the question more barbed - and against her better judgment, decided to voice none of them.

"A... proposition, in fact," the woman replied, eyes hiding something malefic that her voice let slip. "Should _you_ win the ensuing battle," No's emphasis made it painfully obvious why her focus had been solely on Hanbei. "I will abdicate in favor of you. _If_ you lose, you will return as my tactician."

There was no moment of silence following the offer - Kazumi would not allow one.

"That is not your offer to make," the Auroran's reaction was calm, but tellingly automatic.

"Nor is it yours to reject," No replied, scarlet lips disarmingly upturned. Kazumi held in a growl.

"And then I succeed you at some undetermined date?" Hanbei uttered listlessly, as if there had been no break in the conversation. The warlord of Spectra gave no response, and Hanbei let out a heavy sigh. "Say I accept. Who says that Spectra would accept me? I was ostracized."

"My husband is oft-absent from Spectra," No's voice was so level that it could be mistaken for a cudgel. "And you are still a native."

"We Spectres have long memories, Lady No," the tactician replied. Kazumi wondered if he had meant it as a jab.

"And so you doubtlessly recall the last time there was a power struggle in Spectra?" the woman in purple retorted. Hanbei felt the corner of his lips twitch. He had been too young to have played an active role - that had fallen to his father, who paid the price for it - but still remembered the fallout of the fratricidal conflict that had paved the way for No's ascension with the manifold bodies of her kin. A conflict that had its roots in her marriage into what had been a rival kingdom. A marriage that had proven childless, and a dynastic union that was now on the precipice of being crushed underfoot, with the last member of the current ruling dynasty being inextricably tied to it.

Hanbei's lips twitched again. He hated that he hadn't considered the situation he was stewing in to be a possibility, he hated having allowed himself to be fecklessly led into it, and above all he hated having been so effortlessly outmaneuvered in an argument.

"I accept," if the resignation in his voice was not sharp enough to cut through the stuffy atmosphere of the sanctuary, then he would have truly been embarrassed.

"Very good," if No was genuinely pleased by Hanbei's acquiescence, her tone refused to betray any of it. The Warlord of Spectra flowed upwards, immediately contrasted by the stiff snaps to attention the trio of her warriors gave. "Ittetsu, Bokuzen, Morinari; draw up the warriors as we planned," Kazumi resisted the urge to let her scowl deepen as No stopped next to Hanbei. "I needn't remind you the path to the gardens."

Hanbei did not turn to watch her leave - Kazumi did, and would have silently bored holes into the Spectre's back had Okuni not taken up the role of being the warlord's shadow. Kanbei was the first to stand.

"I assume you do not want to stay here any longer than necessary?" Kazumi suspected Kanbei had not attached a name to the question for the simple fact that it was addressed to both of them. Hanbei did answer for both of them, pushing himself back upright by his kneecaps.

"No," Hanbei replied with as much energy as one would find in a funeral procession.

"You didn't have to accept," Kazumi uttered, as listless as he was. Hanbei allowed himself to frown at the Auroran, and seemed like he was torn between agreeing and arguing with her, before he finished his mental debate with a small shake of the head.

"I may not exactly have fond memories of Spectra, but I don't want to see it collapse into anarchy," the timing was ill-fitting, but he managed to produce a grin from the ether regardless. "Besides, the threat of having to leave you gives me all the more reason to come up with a winning plan."

Hanbei turned to Kanbei, smirk taking on an almost sly tone as life returned to his eyes.

"Who knows, Kanbei, maybe I'll even retire early and hand over Spectra to you," the other Ignite indulged in a small smile at the half-jest. "You're already an honorary Spectre between Lampent and that complexion."

"I was under the impression you didn't want to protract our stay," Kanbei repeated with no small amount of barely-maintained monotone. Hanbei let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, best to not keep them waiting. Legends know there are already enough people waiting to pass on here as it is," Kazumi couldn't help the chortle that escaped her, and decided that consternation over what was only a possibility was not going to help mitigate it.

* * *

The garden struck Kazumi as a warped version of Greenleaf's: sickly skies replaced the tender embrace of the sun, stone statues had assumed the responsibilities of a hedge maze - with all the scrutiny of a portrait whose eyes stared back at the painter - and every step felt like they were being drawn further away from their destination rather than closer to it. The plan, at least, had been straightforward enough: Yoshihiro and the Pugilites would take up points at the entrance and throughout the maze to ensure that isolating their army would be an impossibility while the rest of the warriors would advance. Ujiyasu would cause a ruckus on the right, Motochika and Fontaine would follow her and her tacticians down the left.

And as if the ever-shifting gazes of the statues was not enough, Motochika had decided to add to the ambience with a few plaintive chords from his shamisen.

"Lord Motochika?" Kazumi's voice cracked from disuse. "Must you play that tune?"

"Would you prefer silence?" the Fontainer's retort was accented with an equally dry chuckle and the immediate cessation of the plucking. What replaced it was a dearth that immediately gave her an appreciation for the piece: the wind did not howl, there was no grass on their trail and any small talk from the back died with Motochika's song. The Auroran frowned, but before she could reply the sound of stone crashing against stone rang out across Spectra's gardens.

"You think _I_ would be afraid of a few rocks?" Ujiyasu's roar, echoing out across the field, made up for the stoicism of the past hour. "Let's give them a Rock Tomb, Gigalith!"

There was no time to ruminate; the sound of polished stone laboring against the ground grated against their ears. Kazumi turned as panic flared over her link with Espeon; she was met with the sight of a stone Misdreavus, nearly as tall as her, sliding across the road like it was a chess piece. She leaped to the side, landing in front of their column in time to look back and see that a wall of the statues had formed between herself, her tacticians, and the rest of their group. A sharp, metallic thud rang out from the other side as Motochika drove his boot into one of the autonomous sculptures: it proved as unmoving as the kick had sounded jarring.

"Espeon; Psychic," she levelled a finger at one of the offending slabs that had isolated then. The Sun Pokémon mewled from its perch on her shoulder, eyes alight as it telepathically reached out at the statue - only to growl in abject frustration when the rock refused to budge. Neither were prepared for the statue to rotate their direction and for a pillar of blue flame to spew out from the carved mouth.

"Protect!" the emerald field went up just in time to let her feel a few of the embers touch her face and dissipate after the initial sting. Even with the barrier she could still feel the intensity of the flames as they whirled harmlessly against Espeon's defense in what felt like a prolonged game of chicken, one where the statue blinked first and returned to being a statue.

"Shadow Ball," Kanbei ordered before the field had even fully dissipated. Kazumi followed the attack's trajectory above the statue to its true target: a small wisp of blue flame, almost translucent in its frailty, hovering like a mirage above the carving. The Shadow Ball was deceptively cohesive: the moment it made contact with the ghostly flame, both faded back into the ether they emerged from.

"Now I remembered why I hated coming here..." Hanbei's muttering went unacknowledged; before Kazumi could even order her Espeon to move the statue she became keenly aware that the chaos they heard coming from Ujiyasu's flank had grown closer.

"Kunichika!" Motochika, she realized, was no longer on the other side of the wall of statues. "To the left! Douse any will-o-wisp you see! Morichika, your group holds the center! The rest with me, we're going to give them a swan song!"

"If Motochika is doing his job, Lady Kazumi, we need to be doing ours," that time Kazumi nodded at the exile's statement. She turned around, only to find an apparition of an entirely different sort looming behind Hanbei - one that, this time, kept a respectful amount of distance between them. The tacticians followed her glare to find Okuni looming behind Hanbei, parasol skyward and casting a shadow over her cheery smile. Hanbei took a paltry, if not leisurely, step backwards.

"I'm afraid I have job to do as well," Okuni said, voice somewhere between saccharine and tart. She gave her parasol a few turns before lowering it, revealing a Volcarona that cast an even greater shadow over the priestess. "Let's start this off with a Quiver Dance, Volcarona."

For a brief moment, the Auroran was captivated with the flutter of the Bug Type's wings, watching entranced as it scattered fiery scales around itself and Okuni in a spiral array, flitting through and setting alight the dreary sky. Every movement the Sun Pokémon made seemed only to become ever more practiced, casting an amber arc above the priestess. Her tacticians were not nearly as beholden.

"Agility," Hanbei whispered while Kanbei gave a silent command for a Confuse Ray.

"Calm Mind," Kazumi said, realizing that Quiver Dance was likely not the only Bug Type move Okuni's partner had at its disposal. Lampent released the orb it had been constructing, the light faintly drifting across the field in a dance of its own, while Hanbei whispered something else not even Kazumi could make out. Okuni's rosy lips twisted into a mordant grin.

"Silver Wind!" Okuni slid backwards in perfect coordination with Volcarona's final pirouette, the Pokemon's wings folding inwards before unfurling with the force of a whirlwind. The gale tore through Lampent's orb, sent Pikachu tumbling onto its back and Espeon flying back to Kazumi's feet with a panicked yelp. And then the wind that threatened to pull them back stopped when Pikachu slammed into Volcarona, the spark of its Volt Tackle having only materialized seconds before the contact sent the Sun Pokémon spiraling backwards. Kazumi's brow furrowed in confusion - an expression she had in common with Okuni - but quickly realized Hanbei had ordered a Double Team last minute and used the luster of Volcarona's attack to mask his own.

"Fire Spin, now!" Kanbei's voice overpowered the ringing in her ears, Lampent wasting no time in igniting a fiery tornado from the scales Volcarona had let scatter. The Spectre visibly flinched at the flames that flashed in front of her face - the scream that came from her partner sounded as malignant as any that some restless spirit could howl out. The pillar of flame quickly diffused as Kazumi watched the silhouette of the Bug Type spin around in the furnace that had enveloped it, flames bending inwards with its wings before flying outwards and dissipating in a shower of embers with another powerful flap. That was when Kazumi saw her chance.

"Pin it's wings with Psychic!" Espeon, already aware of her train of thought, had preempted Okuni's command for a Fiery Dance and effectively rendered the Sun Pokémon immobile. Hanbei levelled a finger at the insect squirming under Espeon's telepathic pin.

"Volt Tackle again, Pikachu," Pikachu responded to the tactician's listless order with as much solemn determination as it could put into an electrifying rush. Spectra's Junior Warlord floated out of the path of her spiraling partner, letting out a resigned sigh when it tried to push itself off the ground and gave up mid-motion. She reached down and placed a tentative grip on Volcarona, and turned her attentions back to the trio once it was shakily hovering again.

"Well," for the briefest of moments, it seemed that Okuni was on the verge of calling out another attack from her partner. And then that ghost vanished with a sardonic smile in Hanbei's direction. "If I had to lose to someone, at least it was you. Lady No will probably be of the same opinion - please, follow us."

* * *

The sounds of battle could still be distantly heard from the center of the garden, but Kazumi hoped it was as much due to the fighting dying down as it was separation from it.

Where the stone statues had served as a substitute hedge maze prior, a row of sakura and wisteria trees took up their job in the alcove they had been whisked into. Spectra's warlord was waiting where their shadows seemed to overlap, casting the stone monument looming behind the purple-haired woman into darkness. Barely, Kazumi could make out the figures for 'Saito' on it.

"This feels familiar," Hanbei muttered as Okuni and her partner faded into the penumbra of the vegetation. The Auroran merely kept her gaze fixed on Spectra's warlord - who, in contrast, seemed to be staring into space. All it took was a blink to shatter the façade of aloofness.

"Hanbei," her voice was icy, but he gave a bow in return regardless. Something about the motion gave Kazumi the impression of reservation - if the Spectre noticed, she said nothing.

"I know you resent this, Lady No," Hanbei said after stiffly straightening his back. "But for better or worse, I will use what you taught me."

Kazumi thought she saw the corner of the woman's lips twitch.

"Anything less would be an insult. Mismagius," No raised a hand and the Ghost Pokémon in question responded, materializing from within the memorial behind her. Hanbei let his partner launch itself off his shoulder in turn.

"Thunder Wave!"

"Toxic!"

The second of silence that followed their near-synchronized orders was a second too long. Their Pokémon had not shared their hesitation: both attacks hit their marks. Kazumi's brow furrowed at the jaundiced color that Pikachu had turned, and then straightened at the sight of the Mismagius seizing mid-air.

"Quick Attack!" everyone present understood that Hanbei had only ordered it to save time - time that he was in short supply of. The woman in purple gave no orders for a counterattack, but for all of Hanbei's internal dread he had no other option but to press on with his offensive. Pikachu leaped up, tail curling as the Electric Type rolled in on itself midair. "Iron Tail!"

"Payback." No's voice seemed to cut deeper than Hanbei's assault - Mismagius screeched against the iron boring into its brim, and shrieked even louder when Pikachu was sent flying backwards with a burst of inky light. Hanbei's grimace seemed the perfect opposite of the cloying smirk that had developed on his foe's face.

"Double Team!" the combatant's expressions evened when their commands harmonized. Seconds later the field was crowded and neither side had gained ground - a situation that Kazumi thought No should have been happy with.

"Use Curse," the Auroran heard an unpronounced strength behind the words, but whatever subtlety the Warlord of Spectra might have preferred was shattered with the chorus of wailing that broke out from the multitude of Mismagius. What was just a mildly irritating song to the warriors was a cacophony great enough to cause the genuine Pikachu to cry out in anguish and fold its ears over its head, the illusions on its flanks fading as it crumpled to the soil. Hanbei flinched at the sight and forced himself to look across the field, only to find one Mismagius as well. His mind barely able to keep pace with his heartbeat, the tactician set about weighing his options as fast as he could.

And for an even briefer moment, Kazumi weighed hers. The thought of ordering Espeon to intervene crossed her mind, and left it with a small sigh. Her gaze returned to Hanbei.

_"No. I trust - I have to - that Hanbei will win."_

For his part, Hanbei came to two conclusions: that prolonging their already short battle would end in his defeat, and that the next attack would be the deciding one. He grimaced and decided on the course of action he hated the most: a fair gamble.

"Volt Tackle!" Pikachu, flinching under the strain of the poison, charged forward with as much of a yell it could muster. No watched, stony-faced as the monument behind her. Pikachu leaped.

"Payback," Mismagius cried out as the Electric Type crashed into it, and then stopped, seemingly frozen in place by the impact. No's face dropped with Mismagius as the paralysis overtook the Ghost Type. Pikachu landed with a strangled huff, beady eyes joining the mass of gazes that were set on the Magic Pokémon.

"Mismagius," the ice in No's voice could have just as easily paralyzed her partner. The Ghost Type let out a hoarse, creaking noise, and then gave up trying to stay conscious altogether. Pikachu and Hanbei let out a collective sigh, and then the former followed their foe's lead. Kazumi's swallowed the gulp she had held, dry throat protesting in turn.

"Mismagius passed first," the Warlord of Spectra said after a moment of silence. She turned to the priestess, still hovering under the shade of the tree and still inscrutable as ever. "Recall our forces."

"Yes," Okuni gave a bow, but no honorific. Hanbei, his gaze following the priestess as she left, turned back to No - only to cock an eyebrow at the lack of her partner. He barely noticed that Kanbei had retrieved his own partner from the field.

"Spectra is yours," the woman in purple said, eyes flitting between Kazumi and Hanbei. She glided past the speechless tactician, looking as aloof as when she first met him. It was only until she was out of his line of sight that he managed to find any words to say.

"Lady No-"

"Do you remember the reason you were ostracized?" the distance made her tone no less stiff. Hanbei didn't respond, and gradually she disappeared beneath the shadows cast across the garden.

"I understand..." he finally whispered, well after her footsteps had stopped echoing in his head.

* * *

By the time Aurora's army had gathered outside the castle - to the trepidation of a few onlooking urbanites - Spectra's had vanished from the Kingdom. All but the warriors that had been present in their initial audience with No, who bowed as Hanbei approached the ajar gateway they presided over.

"The Spectra Triumvirs," the tactician's smile was melancholic. "Did Lady No release you from your oaths, Morinari?"

"Our oaths were to Spectra, sire," despite that, Hanbei's newfound title came after a prolonged pause. "Not to any one warlord."

"I see..." Hanbei's voice dropped, and he put a finger to his chin. Kazumi suspected it was little more than a show for his new vassal's sakes, and that he already had already decided on a course. "In that case, I'll need you three to stay here and maintain order until the dust has settled. Then we can worry about Spectra's future. Dismissed."

The three gave another bow and headed inside, leaving Hanbei to turn and face the gathered warriors.

"Well, looks like food's on me tonight," that earned some wild cheering from the mass before him.

After the banquet in honor of Spectra's new and unassuming Warlord had ended, Kazumi found herself in Hanbei's quarters, seated across from him with a cup of sake in her hands. For any myriad of reasons he had refused to occupy the Warlord's chambers, and instead had decided upon taking up his old room again - where, to his surprise, he had found it completely unchanged from the day he left it. Even the sad, dusty scent that greeted them was a testament to its preservation. But any regrets on his part were chased away with the warmth of a bottle and the chime of Kazumi's laugh.

"You know," she said through another cautious sip of her drink, after a few seconds of silence had broken their prior discussion. "You are my equal now."

Hanbei gulped down the last of his sake, the alcohol burning as it settled. He dabbed at the corner of his eyes with his sleeves and then cocked a small grin.

"I appreciate the thought, but we both know that's untrue," there was a half-chuckle laced between his words. "Unlike you, I'm the sole ruler of my domain."

His snicker gave way to her laughter, something well more intoxicating to Hanbei than any of the vintage he had imbibed. And when it ended and his mind turned to other thoughts, they hit him with all the gravity of a hangover. As if their target had been his gut, he heaved out a sigh.

"You're going to be one of the unifiers of Ransei soon, Kazumi," Hanbei continued, face having settled into a shade of dour. "I'm just your tactician, and I intend on sticking to that - for my sake, and Spectra's."

"I don't," she replied, liquid courage somehow allowing her delivery to be graver than his. "I would prefer you as a husband."

If it could, the atmosphere would have strangled Hanbei then and there. For a brief moment he wondered if Kazumi was drunk, but aside from her flushed complexion - well more than the sake could have made it - nothing else betrayed a lack of judgment. Hanbei felt the back of his throat go dry.

"Kazumi..."

"I know," the Auroran said with a quiet nod, before offering a conciliatory smile. "Later. After the war is over; then."

Another period of silence surrounded them, allowing Hanbei's thoughts - with the aid of the alcohol, or so he justified to himself - to wander to after. It wasn't until Kazumi chuckled that he realized how silly his smile must have looked.

"What?"

"Well," no amount of drink could have masked the nerves in his own laugh, grateful for the opportunity to redirect his thoughts before they could begin to materialize. "It's not every day you get a marriage proposal," the tactician rebounded, corners of his lips hardening. "I hope."

The knowing smile Hanbei received in turn seemed like it would have better belonged on Okuni's face. It was his turn to shamelessly blush.

"It won't be much longer until the final battle, will it?" the Auroran said, doing her best to not give off an aura of self-satisfaction. The tactician was just grateful for the change in topics.

"Once we get word back from Lord Tadashi," he pretended to ignore the momentary pallor that fell over Kazumi's face. "All that will be left is Nixtorm and Dragnor," when the Auroran said nothing in turn, Hanbei decided to address the topic he knew had been dogging her since her return. "Are you worried about your brother?"

"Extremely," the brunette replied, blue eyes staring down at the empty cup in her hands.

"Time changes people," the tactician uttered morosely, his mind having drifted away from the twins altogether.

"And not always for the better," Kazumi finished, giving Hanbei just enough time to regret having asked before another bout of silence set in.

"I'm sorry," the new warlord began. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's something that will need to be addressed eventually," Kazumi turned to gaze at the window and only saw the moon. Her eyes flickered down to the cup in her hand, half of her wishing it was full. "But now's not the time."

"No, it's not," Hanbei agreed, having followed her gaze. He stood, walked around the table and offered her his hand. Kazumi slid hers into it and stood, slowly, keeping her fingers intertwined as Hanbei escorted her to her room.

"Goodnight, Kazumi," the Spectre said, stifling a yawn as he slid open the door for her.

"Goodnight, Hanbei," she returned, wheeling around in the doorframe to look back at him. "You promise?"

"I do." he leaned in and sealed it with a short kiss.


	51. Chapter 51

Even with the frosty whisper of an early Valoran winter outside, the war room of the Steel Kingdom's castle felt reminiscent of Ignis. Hideyoshi watched as Ieyasu pulled down on a lever dangling next to the fireplace, each tug accompanied with an audible gust of wind that made the fire stretch upwards. The flames would have distracted the exile had he not been more fascinated by the way Ieyasu was able to fan them - Valora's warlord was, if not somewhat shy about it, enamored with foreign machinery. The Ignite briefly wondered whether that was only a taste of the technology laying beyond Ransei's borders; what else might be lurking beyond the great sea that surrounded their island-continent. What truths about the world awaited them. Ieyasu gave a final tug and turned away from the roaring flames, seeming self-satisfied - Hideyoshi only blinked when he suddenly found himself wondering about Hanbei.

"It would appear," Ieyasu began, the absurdly polished wooden floor creaking underneath his steps. "That the critical moment in this conflict is nigh. Hanzo, your report please."

Ieyasu Tokugawa was a small man - almost comically so. Hideyoshi, from his vantage point across the table the Valoran was heading, wondered how the ninja managed to conceal himself behind the warlord. Nene, seated next to him and lacking all but an ounce of his surprise, just watched her countryman's movements carefully as he unfurled a map out onto the table.

"The coalition has taken up a position similar to the last time we crossed blades... here, on these hills," Hideyoshi's eyes landed on the marked position on the map; Nene's drifted to the forest flanking it. "This one saw banners from Terrera, Illusio, Violight and Greenleaf. Supposedly they march under the more volatile of the Aurorans."

"Rival isn't a pushover," Hideyoshi found himself saying. The glare he got from Hanzo was as sharp as any he had received, as if he had - and the expatriate suspected he just had - insulted the ninja's skills.

"Regardless of the qualities of the opposing commander," Ieyasu interjected. "Assuming they march with their armies, we will have to face the combined strengths of Shingen Takeda, Kenshin Uesugi and Motonari Mori."

"Then I say we take the fight to the enemy, sire," Tadakatsu Honda's voice was as imposing as his stature, and even from his place in the back of the room he could perfectly see the details on the map his compatriot had produced. "They forced us to fight on their terms last time by teleporting into Avia's castle grounds. With Lord Hideyoshi and Lady Nene's troops, we have sufficient numbers that we could sally out and fight a pitched battle."

"It would be a rearguard action - we're still outnumbered and, admittedly, outclassed," Nene intoned. Tadakatsu gave a gruff nod.

"Valora is a mighty castle, but there is no reason to let them approach unmolested. We hold them long enough for Lord Nobunaga's reinforcements to mobilize, allow them to draw close to the castle, and pin them between our defenses and Lord Nobunaga's wrath."

"The besiegers become the besieged?" Ieyasu said aloud, before giving a short nod. "An excellent plan, but we will have to leave a detachment behind in the castle - as you said, Kenshin was able to teleport within Avia's grounds and I see no way to prevent him from doing so here. Should they seize the gates while we engage them in the open, our plan will sour quickly."

"This one volunteers for that honor, my lord," the Valoran gave a nod to his bodyguard and turned to the other warlords gathered.

"Then that leaves the actual plan of attack," Ieyasu's gaze turned to his guests. "Lady Nene, Lord Hideyoshi; I see you're admiring the forest surrounding the coalition's position."

"It's a roundabout route, but it provides a prime opportunity to attack their camp..." Hideyoshi mused, having followed Nene's finger as it traced a path across the parchment.

"Our ultimate goal is to draw them close to the castle; a successful raid on their camp might push them off the field," Ina's voice was as stark a contrast to her father's as could be, but Hideyoshi found her reasoning just as solid as his. He thus found it a bit ironic that Tadakatsu was the one to reply.

"Last time we crossed blades, Lord Motonari remained in the coalition's camp while Lord Kenshin led from the front," the juggernaut of a man seemed to almost regret having not faced the Illusite.

"If Kenshin will be at the front then Shingen will be close," Ieyasu had none of his vassal's expressiveness at the thought. "And, assuming that it is Lord Tadashi we are facing, I imagine he will be present there as well - it seems that Lord Motonari would be the natural candidate to remain at their rear."

"Lead from the rear," Hideyoshi muttered loudly enough that all present could hear. "Keeping him preoccupied with a raid would mask our intentions, too."

"Then I believe we have settled that matter, Lord Hideyoshi," the portly man turned his attentions to his vassals. "Tadakatsu, you'll take the center; Ina, Naomasa, you have the right. As Lord Hideyoshi and Lady Nene's path is to our left, we will present that as the weakest flank; I will command the rearguard, and when it comes time to retreat Lord Hideyoshi and Lady Nene can pincer any of our foes who tried breaking through the left. Are we agreed?"

"Sire," the gathered Valorans sounded in chorus.

"Koroku, go inform Lord Nobunaga that we will soon engage the enemy," Hideyoshi said, after having given a curt nod. His retainer gave a rough bow and excused himself from the room.

"The rest of you are dismissed as well; Tadakatsu, ensure we are ready to march at the end of the hour," Ieyasu's attentions turned from his departing vassals to his guests, face softening as he met their gazes. "Lord Hideyoshi - I did promise you a tour of my collection yesterday, and we do have some time remaining."

* * *

"So, they've sallied out to meet us..." Kenshin's voice grated on Shingen's ears, even more than usual. The Illusite's voice had always been gravelly - a product of his love of drink, even more than himself and Ujiyasu - but Shingen detected something worse lying underneath it. His scowl, however, was the same, and Shingen knew better than to prod Kenshin on personal matters when he didn't have a cup of sake in his hands. "If that Serperior's foresight was correct in this instance, then we should not even allow them the chance to retreat to their defenses."

"The boy agreed to the plan," Shingen replied neutrally, even though he knew that Kenshin could easily read his innermost thoughts. "And there is wisdom in not overstretching ourselves to try to encircle the Valorans, certainly not if what you said about Tadakatsu Honda is true."

Kenshin just nodded, grim features refusing to budge as his attentions refocused on the Valoran banners floating at the base of the hill they were to take. Shingen simply turned in the saddle of his Rapidash.

"Yukimura, you're at the van! Advance at will!" the Terreran's grip on the reins tightened subconsciously as his protégé and a dozen of other warriors thundered past him, their cries dashing across the field faster than their legs could. Kenshin barked out an order of his own and the portion of Illusio's army that was present responded with an alacrity to match that of their desert-dwelling neighbors. The Valoran lines in the distance responded; first with the grating cacophony of dozens of metallic objects grinding and smashing against each other, and then with a countercharge. Shingen watched with mild disdain as well-ordered lines broke down into a chaotic melee, with the only redeeming factor being that he could make out the red of his vanguard pushing forward against the drab greys and blues of Valora's warriors and their partners.

"Masakage!" Shingen's shout drew his faithful retainer to his side within seconds.

"Sir?"

"Go ride to the Violighters. Tell Dosetsu to press his offensive on the right, now, and at all costs."

"Sir." Shingen's attentions returned to the battlefield as his vassal galloped off, just in time to watch as the Valoran ranks began to break altogether. The warlords of Illusio and Terrera found themselves trading bewildered glances simultaneously - incredulity that was soon rewarded as the tremor that followed caused Shingen's mount to rear up and the warlord to nearly slide out of the saddle and onto Kenshin below.

"What in Groundon's great name was-" the cause of Shingen's panic quickly made himself apparent: the antlers of his helmet towering well above anyone else, Tadakatsu Honda stood statuesque, spear in hand, his Metagross lifting a claw out of the small fissure it had created as an entrance. The nearby warriors and Pokémon not sent flying by the tremor, regardless of allegiance, quickly scattered into a sizeable radius around the Valoran. All but Yukimura and his Charmeleon - and perhaps it was just the distance playing tricks on his eyes, but Shingen thought he saw Tadakatsu smile at the sight. Terrera's warlord, torn between a sort of fatherly pride and blasé stupefaction, settled on driving his heels into his mount. Whatever order Yukimura was about to give to his partner was preempted by the sound of hooves thundering on his rear.

"Hold there, Yukimura!" Shingen commanded as his mount skidded to a halt, the distance between themselves and the rest of the battle giving him the inklings of a plan. Kenshin and Rhyperior - the latter with visible discomfort - untangled their arms from Gallade as they teleported onto the junior warlord's flank. "Take command in the rear, this is our fight."

The boy's lips edged downwards for a split second, but he bowed and quickly withdrew himself. The faint sound of Yukimura's orders echoing up to his ears made Shingen suddenly feel the weight of his years, and briefly wondered if it was similar to the sensation his Rapidash got whenever it had to ferry him.

"Lords Kenshin and Shingen," Tadakatsu's voice was easily heard over the din of the resuming battle, as equally commanding as his form. The Valoran took a step forward, one that was answered in turn by Kenshin and Shingen's partners. "I have been looking forward to this day - perhaps you will prove worthy foes. Meteor Mash!"

The Steel Type's response was unnaturally swift: arms folding in on itself, Metagross telepathically catapulted across the clearing. Gallade teleported out of the way, Kenshin following his partner with a ragged leap, while Rhyperior just braced for the inevitable. Shingen felt his lips tighten as he gauged the Metagross' speed.

"Hammer Arm!" Rhyperior brought down its cudgel of an arm as Metagross unfurled, crashing against the Iron Leg Pokémon as the Steel Type delivered a hook to its quarry's encased gut. Metagross, other appendages slamming indentations into the ground, took the attack in stride. Rhyperior stumbled back, doubled over, and then readied a Fire Punch. The Steel Type didn't budge - not until Gallade was within arms reach, having charged Metagross' flank in hopes of pincering their foe. Tadakatsu's partner hooked into Gallade's leg as it threw the first kick in what it no doubt was planning to be a flurry, swinging the startled Psychic directly into the path of Rhyperior's fist.

"Zen Headbutt, Metagross!"

"Teleport!" Gallade, still seething from Rhyperior's redirected attack, wasted no time at Kenshin's order in awkwardly wrapping an arm around the Drill Pokémon's bulbous hand. Metagross stopped when its quarry blinked out of existence, only to let out a grunt as a rematerialized Rhyperior unleashed another Fire Punch into its flank.

"Kenshin, pin it," Shingen whispered. Illusio's warlord, understanding Shingen's plan, gave a telepathic order for another Close Combat; Gallade's response was to use Rhyperior's bulk as a springboard to launch itself above Metagross, falling down on the Iron Leg Pokémon from above. Metagross, occupied with trying to wrest its forelegs out from Rhyperior's clutches, could do nothing as the Blade Pokémon crashed into the scorch mark that the fire punch had left. This time the sound that came out of the Steel Type's mouth was more than a grunt, legs giving out under the weight of Gallade's attack. Shingen refused to feel triumphant, even as the opportunity he had been waiting for presented itself to him.

"Now, Rhyperior: Earthquake!" Gallade's foot was replaced with Rhyperior's fist: smashing Metagross into a tremor-filled, churning earth. Shingen preemptively gave his mount a comforting pat as the quakes echoed out towards them and the rest of the battlefield - the man in red blinked when he realized the fighting around them had died down and heads were turning. He continued to watch tentatively as Rhyperior withdrew from the crater it had created with Metagross' still, spread eagle form, staring down warily at the crushed Steel Type alongside a shaky Gallade. Tadakatsu let out a wispy chuckle.

"Impressive. Meteor Mash!" Metagross, with a speed that defied what it had just been put through, shot up at Rhyperior. The sound that followed as it drove a claw into his partner's face made Shingen feel sick, and he was only able to take small consolation in that the sudden quiet he felt flare across their link signaled Rhyperior's immediate unconsciousness. There was a second of stunned silence that followed, nearby Terrerans gawking at what they had just witnessed followed by the cheers of Valorans. Kenshin's grimace creased itself deeper into his features.

"Impressive indeed. Double Team, Gallade!"

* * *

"C'mon, is that all y'all got?" Hideyoshi, for all his bravado, couldn't help how ragged his voice actually sounded; being at the front of the line, he refused to set anything but the best example he could for his followers. His legs ached just as bad as the rest of the column, having sprinted through the winding forest paths around the battle at a speed that could have given any Terreran cavalry unit reason to pause. "We've lost everything and still come this far, and I'm not about to let the Aurorans rest on _our_ laurels!"

"Hideyoshi, if we cause enough noise..." Nene's voice, haggard as his, was just short of shouting. Grunting out something in acquiescence, Hideyoshi brought up a hand as he slowed to a jog, and then to a stroll. The Ignite turned around to look at his division, blinking away a bead of sweat that touched the corner of his eye. That he was faring better than most of his warriors and even some of the Pokémon was not comforting.

"Looks like I've been going easy on y'all," Hideyoshi said after a deep, held breath. Groans ranging from sporting to exasperated echoed out, and Hideyoshi found himself giving into a small smile. "Okay, okay - everyone; reform ranks, catch your breath. We'll tread lightly from here on out."

Haggard steps followed his order as Hideyoshi turned around, not wanting to let anyone see him wiping at his brow. Vision clearing, the Ignite blinked at the stretch of forest he now found himself staring at. Flimsy rays of the sun melted through the foliage in a mesmerizingly cascading array, and the more Hideyoshi stayed fixated on the sight, the more the headache that accompanied it grew.

"Lord Hideyoshi," the Ignite tore his gaze away at the sound of his name, and the pain in his temples was replaced with the imposing stature of Sakon. "We're ready to advance."

Hideyoshi nodded wordlessly and lowered an arm down the dirt path they had been stomping down. Tadashi, watching from the shade of the underbrush as dozens of Ignites and Viperians rushed by, silently motioned for Umbreon to drop its Confuse Ray when the last of them passed.

"I've repaid my sister's debt," Tadashi muttered, remembering Motonari's words as he and his partner crept down the shadowy road. "But it might have been better for you had I not."

Hideyoshi held up a hand when the alabaster cloth of the Auroran's camp peeked through the foliage, sitting recalcitrant upon a hill offering a vantage point of the whole battlefield. Not a soldier was in sight of it, and that only caused the anxious pit in his stomach to deepen.

"Yoshitsugu, Sakon - stay here with the reserves. If this is a trap, you know what to do. Everyone else; charge!"

The Ignites eschewed any element of stealth in favor of a display of elan, even the Viperians letting out an uncharacteristic war cry as they charged up the unguarded hill. It wasn't until Hideyoshi and his partner came to a halt outside the covered entrance that the exile realized that their main camp was not only entirely unguarded, but there were no nearby reserves that were in any position to move against them. He tossed a glance over his shoulder, seeing the columns of Violighters, Greenleafers, Terrerans and Illusites in the distance, and not a single one showing the slightest indication they were aware of his march.

"Have we just been-"

"Had you taken any longer," Hideyoshi, and the warriors around him, turned back to face the flaps of the encampment. "I would certainly say so. Now please, do come in - your ruckus has already disrupted my concentration."

Hideyoshi grimaced: the serene voice brought back memories of lost kingdoms and tacticians. Brushing aside any visible resentment, he swept aside the cloth and marched triumphantly into the Coalition's main camp, Infernape on his heels. Motonari, from his seat at the end of the makeshift table, just watched passively as warrior after warrior followed, until he was surrounded by something just short of two dozen Ignites and Viperians. Serperior, coiled around the warlord defensively, just flicked out its forked tongue in disdain.

"Well," the Greenleafer began after a quiet sip from the cup in his hands, his lips twisting into a soft smile as his eyes scanned over the gathered warriors. "Had I known I would be playing host to this many, I would have brewed a larger pot." Hideyoshi felt himself tense up as Motonari rose, slowly, placing down the porcelain on the papers below him with a soft clink. "And as host, hospitality is in order: the first move is yours."

Guardedly, Hideyoshi raised an eyebrow. Motonari made no move to preempt him, arms folded neatly behind his coat and warm smile unmoving, and none of his warriors were presumptuous enough to assume that Motonari had directed the invitation to anyone but their chief. He swallowed his hesitation.

"Flare Blitz, Infernape!"

It was, Hideyoshi thought, the ideal opener; the flames that engulfed his partner as it rushed across their crowded battlefield threatened to burn away any attack that Motonari's Serperior could have possibly mustered. Motonari, the Ignite quickly realized, agreed; all it took was the strategist to lazily raise a hand and rotate his wrist for the undeterred Grass Type to whip up a small gust of leaves; one it seemed content on stirring until Monferno was close to leaping over the table. Motonari flattened his hand, and Serperior flicked its tail outwards, a cannonade of foliage flying outwards. Hideyoshi watched as the flames surrounding Infernape dissipated the leaves that would have cut into his partner - and merely set alight the ones that shot by Infernape harmlessly. The Ignite felt his throat go dry when he realized he was on the receiving end of an enfilade from a Grass Type.

"Scatter!" for many of the surrounding warriors and Pokemon, the command came too late; balls of flame that didn't crash into the Pokémon or occasional warrior easily tore through the cloth behind them. It had the added benefit of causing a break in Infernape's momentum; Hideyoshi, attention torn between patting down the patch of fire that was eating away at the edge of his pants and the battle, watched helplessly as his partner paused to toss a glance back over its shoulder. That was all the time Serperior needed to brave the still raging flames and stab its tail into Infernape's chest. The Regal Pokémon visibly flinched against the fires eating at its tail, but was still too quick for Infernape: it slithered out of the Flame Pokémon's retaliatory grasp, tail snaking back underneath the table Motonari was still impassively standing behind.

"Mach Punch!" Hideyoshi felt his hackles rise as, once again, Serperior proved to be one step ahead; the flimsy wood of the table was sent upwards right as Infernape threw its punch, smashing through the barrier but missing its target by a hair. Nene's Crobat, waiting patiently for its moment to strike, did not. Motonari just frowned as he faintly heard the sound of porcelain shattering against the image of the Posion Type driving a claw into his partner's neck.

"Grab it, if you would," Serperior, straining against the sting of the Cross Poison, managed to wrap its tail around Crobat's exposed wing, just in time to fling it into the path of Infernape's follow-up Mach Punch. The expatriate flinched as he watched Crobat get turned into a cushion for Serperior; whatever command he might have given or reaction that his partner made was rendered moot with Motonari's following command.

"Let us not condescend anymore: Leaf Storm, posthaste," the flurry that the Grass Type whipped up, far greater in intensity than the one that had been used to unleash a barrage of brimstone on its unsuspecting opponents, sent both Infernape and Crobat tumbling back across the encampment. It was a situation, the Ignite believed, recouped by his warriors and their partners forming a screen in front of him and Nene; he watched as Motonari's response was to simply keep Serperior's own screen of sharp winds and sharper leaves alive, swirling around himself and the Regal Pokémon. The Ignite's mind whirled quicker than the tornado facing them, fancying the idea of ordering a volley of his own and seeing if it would turn Motonari's countershield into a firestorm that they would have to give up, until some stirring within the cyclone drew his attention. A glint of the same saccharine purple that he would see whenever Crobat would engage in one of its poison based attacks. The memory of the enfilade came back with a vengeance.

"Everyone, launch any fire based attacks now!" he had no time to reconsider whether or not he was just helping the Greenleafer launch another fiery tornado at his warriors; the Leaf Storm stopped spinning long enough for Hideyoshi to get a glimpse of the almost paternalistic smile Motonari was wearing before an array of poisoned vegetation was sent flying at them. Some warriors and Pokémon in the line had reacted quickly enough that their flames shielded them from the barrage - they were the exceptions. Hideyoshi, busy helping an increasingly weak Infernape back up - and he berated himself for not having realized why Motonari would insist on having Serperior brave a Flare Blitz until now - watched as even the partners of the Viperians, already worse for wear from the flames, howled as the Leaf Storm cut into them.

"Lord Hideyoshi," Motonari's voice floated above the sounds of carnage. "You are a rather far way from help," he needed no reminder; already the idea of calling up Sakon, Yoshitsugu and the rest of the reserves to tear into the encampment from behind the Greenleafer was shot down with a reminder of where Masamune's sense of increasing commitment had landed him. "And I'm afraid so is Lord Nobunaga."

That statement did give the Ignite pause. He blinked, eyes wide, gaze turning away from the gash in his partner's torso to the warlord standing serenely across from them, the one immaculate figure in a sea of smoldering debris.

"What?" it was a demand, not a question. Motonari only fell back on the same, unmoving smile he had worn when Hideyoshi first entered.

"Please, don't allow me to keep you with my verbosity. I'm certain you have more pressing business, anyhow."

The growl that came out of the back of the Ignite's throat grated against his ears - and he blinked self consciously when he realized he allowed it to slip loose.

"Fall back," it was a whisper that everyone heard. There was a moment when no one moved, as if it was a consideration and not an order. It was not until Hideyoshi had straightened himself upright, Infernape's arm slung over his shoulder, that the warriors closest to the camp's entrance bolted out of it. Motonari watched them leave, almost in pairs, until Hideyoshi and his partner slowly staggered out of the camp. His thoughts remained on the Ignite even after he had disappeared from sight.

* * *

Shingen watched the battle between Kenshin and Tadakatsu unfold with an ever increasing sense of urgency; both their partners were worn ragged from trading the blows that had destroyed a fair amount of the terrain serving as their battlefield, but only Kenshin was beginning to show signs of exhaustion - unusual enough as it was. The Terreran understood that the nature of links between psychics and their partners was different from that of the bonds other warriors shared, but in all his battles with Kenshin he had never seen his nemesis look as haggard as he currently was - on or off the battlefield. And then those lingering concerns materialized after Gallade ungracefully leaped back from an equally sluggish swipe from Metagross. Kenshin's colorless lips parted; what came out was not a command, but a raddled croak. The moment the Illusite began to sway Shingen rushed out; had he waited a second later Kenshin would have landed on the ground and not in his hands.

"Kenshin!" the Illusite's eyes, fighting not to roll into the back of his head, found a lifeline in focusing on the bedeviled mask blocking his view of the sun.

"Nemesis..." Shingen would have hardly recognized his voice; the hoarseness had removed what force had remained and left it sounding like an old, battered door creaking open. The Terreran felt Kenshin move to force himself back upright. "I am-"

Only a moment of placing his feet solidly on the ground passed before they gave out and he crashed back into his compatriot's grasp. Shingen's grimace only deepened.

"Capable of continuing this fight?" the Terreran finished with a small growl, to a sheepishly stony response from the warlord of Illusio. The man in red's eyes drifted to the Gallade still on the field; its arms were raised in a halfhearted defensive stance, head partially inclined in their direction, giving Shingen a perfect view of the scars running over its right eye. Tadakatsu, still looming further beyond the battle, respectfully watched in a solemnity that would have befitted Kenshin's own asceticism.

"How long has he been ill!?" Kenshin's partner offered no verbal response - the date that it imposed on his mind's eye elicited an even deeper frown out of Shingen that, to any onlooker, would make it seem like his jaw had decided to become part of his mask. The Terreran held in a growl when he realized said onlookers doubtlessly composed of nearby warriors. "Then get him to the back, he shouldn't have been campaigning to begin with!"

Had anyone else tried giving an order to Kenshin's partner, they would have been at risk of losing their tongue. Gallade just begrudgingly obeyed - over Kenshin's even weaker objection - teleporting over to the two warlords, assuming Shingen's position and blinking away. The Terreran stood, eyes moving to Tadakatsu and ears registering Yukimura distantly calling him. The Valoran opposite to Shingen took that as his opportunity to leave - he said nothing, and given the state Gallade had left Metagross in, both understood there was little to boast about.

"Lord Shingen!" this time the sounds of Yukimura's steps followed his call. The junior warlord came to a halt when he passed by the barely conscious Rhyperior and reached his mentor's side, stopping momentarily to watch the departing forms of Tadakatsu and his Metagross. He blinked when he realized Kenshin was nowhere in sight, but from Shingen's visible disposition knew better than to ask. "There's been an attack at our main camp! The rearguard's reported seeing Hideyoshi Hashiba's helm at the helm, and Viperian colors with him."

"Motonari predicted they'd mobilize their reserves for a maneuver like this..." behind the veil of his mask, Shingen's eyes narrowed and he found himself sparing a moment's glance back at the battlefield his lifelong rival had just been ushered off of. _"A pity he failed to predict Kenshin's health - assuming it would have stopped Kenshin from being Kenshin."_ the Terreran tore his musings away from a line of thought that was well more dangerous than the battlefield he was on, and then back to Yukimura. "Regardless, Tadakatsu has been mollified for now, and as with him, we're pushing the rest of their center back. Any news on the flanks?"

"Lady Oichi and Kunoichi have broken the left and are preparing to join us. Lords Dosetsu, Muneshige and Lady Ginchiyo are facing stubborn resistance on the right."

"To be expected; Ieyasu does have two Hondas," Shingen cast a wary gaze back across the battlefield; Tadakatsu's departing frame would have been obscured by the peak of the hill before them had he been half a foot smaller. His frown refused to budge, but Shingen felt the tension in his shoulders inch away with every step that Valora's champion took. "Send a messenger back to Avia - tell Lady Aya that the situation is urgent."

Yukimura cocked an eyebrow.

"Lord Shingen?"

"She'll doubtlessly know what I mean," Shingen blinked, and decided that saying what a handful of nearby warriors had already seen would do nothing to help with morale. "Now's not the time for questions, lad."

Yukimura bowed, disappearing back into the crowd, while Shingen busied his mind with shouting out orders. Tadakatsu Honda, looming beyond the crest of the hill Terrera had failed to storm, found himself in a similar condition: hosting his own court, issuing orders to lieutenants and runners as the battle slowly neared.

"Send word to Lord Ieyasu that our right has crumbled and to prepare for battle," Tadakatsu rumbled to one of the awaiting messengers, turning his attentions to another warrior before the man had even finished bowing. "The Ignite's ambush has done nothing to mitigate the coalition's offensive; tell Ina to begin the marching retreat before we can be isolated," the Valoran's attentions found themselves turning back to the battlefield halfway through giving the order. "Kenshin and Shingen might be indisposed, but they show no signs of relenting. Give the order for a countercharge-"

"I'm afraid..." it was not the unfamiliarity of the voice that grabbed Tadakatsu's attention, but the words themselves. The brobdingnagian man wheeled around, eyes landing on the outlier in his camarilla. The Valorans standing next to Tadashi nearly jumped when they realized he had been looming behind them, offering no resistance to the grim Auroran as he stepped into the ring of warriors surrounding Valora's champion. "I can't allow you to do that."

Tadakatsu just arced an eyebrow, quickly sizing his would be foe up; immediately being stricken by the façade of sanguine crimson intertwined with cracked alabaster, a sharp contrast to the unmarred black of the Umbreon perched on his shoulder. But the twin's silvery eyes were as sharp as his partner's, thumb pushing an inch of equally silvery steel out of the hilt resting on his hip, and the Valoran came to the conclusion Aurora's warlord was as reckless as word of mouth made him out to be and then some.

"Lord Tadashi," Tadakatsu knew his voice made lesser men crack - whether it was to his merit or detriment that the Auroran's countenance remained firm was a point of contention that Tadakatsu decided he did not have the luxury of clarifying. "I won't ask how you got this far, nor do I particularly care. You are in no position to impede us."

The Valoran began to turn, and Tadashi's lips followed the course of the juggernaut's shoulders.

"I am, am I?" the low chuckle that escaped the warlord echoed louder than Tadakatsu's step. "As I was under the impression the men of Valora did not shirk a challenge."

Tadakatsu stopped mid-step, grip tightening on the spear in his hand. He looked back to the Auroran, his hand moving to the hilt of his blade, looking unconcerned about the surrounding warriors even as his Umbreon took a protective place at his side. The Valoran waved off his subordinates with his free hand, lowering the tip of his weapon in Tadashi's direction. The twin only raised an eyebrow as the steel caught sunlight.

"I hope you understand what you've demanded."

"I know full well what I am doing," Tadashi's voice was as level as his movement; a single swipe of his arm and his own sword was presented. Tadakatsu's offhand grasped the shaft of his weapon, taking up a stance that invited his foe to make the first move. Tadashi, having decided well beforehand that distance would be an enemy, obliged. His steps were deceptively heavy, leaving Tadakatsu to prepare for an attack that never came; the Valoran swung downwards as Tadashi shifted the grip on his sword, rolling into the gap that Tadakatsu's swing had left in it's wake. The Auroran seamlessly spun on his heels, slash blocked only by Tadakatsu shifting his grip and thrusting the shaft of his spear back to guard his flank. Tadashi leaped backwards to avoid the swipe that followed, as the mountain of a man pivoted to face him, only to slide to the side as Tadakatsu's spear shot out towards him. Preempting a possible follow-up, Tadashi threw his sword against the spear's blade, angling his elbows to bring the balance of his steel underneath Tadakatsu's. Giving the Valoran no time to react to the realignment, Tadashi circled the deadlock over his head, finally pushing the polearm out as he rushed to close the distance between himself and Valora's best. Tadakatsu's grip moved again, coinciding with a powerful step forward as he brought up the butt of his spear, blunting the attack into another deadlock. Tadashi's lips crumbled under the weight of a sneer as metal screeched against metal.

"Is it true you've never been wounded?" Tadashi gave up the deadlock, dragging his blade across the back of the Valoran's exposed fingers before pushing back. The sound that Tadakatsu grunted out would have put the fear of the Legendary Pokémon into any sane warrior; the visceral swing of the spear that followed was what caused Tadashi to flinch. The Auroran felt his head pull to the side as he ducked, the accompanying twang and clatter sounding across the battlefield; having leaped backwards on Tadakatsu's backswing, he was afforded the luxury of looking at the source. The dulled gold of one of the horns from his maedate stared back. Tadakatsu only huffed and threw out his hand, drops of blood splattering against the ground.

"Not bad," the Valoran rumbled, fist tightening around his spear again. "But your technique leaves much to be desired."

Tadakatsu lunged with a speed that Tadashi had not expected - only the forewarning from his link with Umbreon kept him from becoming intimately acquainted with the edge of the Valoran's weapon. He spun last minute to avoid another swing, grimacing as he felt steel slice through his cape, leaving two trails of crimson trailing behind him. Tadakatsu gave the warlord of Aurora no time for recourse; Tadashi had only enough time to wheel around and raise his blade before the Valoran smashed the pommel of his weapon into the twin's shoulder. Tadashi's cry rang out over the crowd as he was knocked to the ground, sword clattering feet away. Tadakatsu stood stolidly, watching impassively as the warlord tried to push himself up, grunted as his arm gave out, and then finally managed to stand upright with the help of his knees. The arm that had been hit, dangling impotently at his side, seemed liable to fall off his torso at any moment.

"You're beaten," Tadakatsu said matter-of-factly, taking a step forward and lowering his weapon. What he got was a growl from Umbreon as it darted back to Tadashi's side, but what actually caused the Valoran to stop was the low, morbid chuckle that echoed out from the lurching warlord.

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Tadashi brought himself to his full height, giving the Valoran a perfect view of the glassy, absent gaze that greeted him. "Not that I can blame you," the Auroran continued, his good hand moving to his dislocated sword-arm. "I would have, before I understood."

The Auroran had a captive audience to the spectacle of himself pushing his dislocated shoulder back into its socket, the pop followed by a scream that went beyond bestial and echoed down even Tadakatsu's spine. The Auroran heaved, the heavy breath almost in perfect sync with his Umbreon, sweat trailing down his face and mixing with the thin line of blood at the edge of his lip, slowly inching down to the still-red scar on his chin. Valora's junior warlord was too preoccupied with a combination of shock and revolted admiration to think of moving against the staggering Auroran.

"Now..." Tadashi's voice, labored as it was, was decidedly atonal, sitting heavy on his foe's ears like a fog. The Auroran kneeled down and found his sword, giving it a tentative swing as he eyed his quarry. "Where were we?"

Tadashi rushed forward, blade poised to strike, and swung at Tadakatsu's side before the Valoran could do anything beyond offering a hasty block; the sword sang as it bounced off of Valoran steel, the Auroran wasting no time in circling overhead to lunge at Tadakatsu's chest. The Valoran parried the attack effortlessly, nearly sending his foe tumbling again, and bringing his spear overhead to sweep the revenant aside. Aurora's warlord took his one chance, galvanizing across the distance Tadakatsu had managed to recreate as he shored up his footing, sword stopping just short of the Valoran's neck. Tadakatsu's spear was still raised above his head, arms bent harmlessly upwards, leaving him in no position to present any obstacle to Tadashi creating a lethal amount of space between his head and neck. None of the surrounding Valoran warriors dared to move, even as the sounds of the nearby battle had only grown more intense, while Tadakatsu and Tadashi entered into a statuesque, silent game of Torchic.

"Charge!" Tadashi blinked when he heard the voice, panic immediately flaring up in the back of his mind and travelling down to his wrists, but his feet remained firmly fixed to the ground. Tadakatsu went further, his eyes travelling to the source of the commotion.

"If we push them off this hill the battle is-" Oichi stopped dead in her tracks, and despite the Greenleafers and Terrerans pouring past her, she could still plainly see the bloodied figure of Tadashi, and the thin line of steel being pressed against the neck of the best warrior in Ransei. Visions of Masamune crept up from the pit that had materialized in her stomach. Tadashi finally followed Tadakatsu's gaze, only to find his locked on Oichi's, her auburn eyes shaking and rosy lips parted in strangled protest. The Auroran managed to tear his visage away from hers, shoulders trembling from an altogether different source of pain.

"Your lord needs you," he said, voice finally cracking, as he lowered the sword from the Valoran's neck. Tadakatsu lowered his spear at a more leisurely pace, face unmoving while the Auroran succumbed to another bout of coughing. Tadashi took a half-step back, lowering his elbow and gazing up at the mountain of steel with something that approached revulsion. "As will the future Ransei."

Tadakatsu watched as the Auroran took another step, his knee nearly buckling underneath him as he sheathed his blade, and then looked down at his hand, a thin line of red across the back of his fingers glaring up at him. A cursory glance at the battles around the Valoran provided the same prognostication that his still-resting Metagross had earlier; outnumbered, outflanked and increasingly outfought. He cleared his throat, the noise powerful enough to cut off a few of his men mid-command.

"We've satisfied our honor in holding this position for as long as we have; fall back!"

The sight of her Valoran opponents stampeding away gave Oichi the impetus to break out of the stupor she had found herself in; speeding across the battlefield and issuing orders to not pursue almost as an afterthought, the Dragnovian nearly found herself cursing as Tadashi had vanished back into the ether.

* * *

Whether or not if Hideyoshi - and Nene, but he would never allow her to be blamed for something that was within his power to affect - was the last of the divisional commanders to stride into Valora's war room was to his merit was irrelevant to him; it had been part of the plan, and that he managed a swift and unopposed withdrawal while having the most ground to cross was more than could be said about his allies.

"Well," the Ignite's voice was still ragged from exertion, but he managed to pace his breathing so that it came out as a single, uninterrupted word. "It won't be long until they finish regrouping - have we received any word from Lord Nobunaga yet?"

"No," Ieyasu - the polish of his armor being tarnished by the occasional splotch of dirt - returned, treading methodical circles in his corner of the war room. "Hanzo sent out scouts after your man a while back, and we've yet to hear from them either."

Hideyoshi frowned, Motonari's words echoing in the back of his head, but he pushed the premonition aside and allowed himself the luxury of sinking down into a chair after pulling out Nene's seat for her. The Ignite could feel Tadakatsu's eyes on him, but paid the glare no heed; he instead busied himself watching Ieyasu slowly tread a circle into his floorboards.

"What next?"

Ieyasu stopped mid-stride, turning to show Hideyoshi the deep-set frown that had taken hold of the Valoran's features. He had good reason - no word back from Nobunaga and a swift defeat did not bode well.

"We have no choice but to prepare for a siege and wait for Lord Nobunaga."

Hideyoshi's visage warped into a mirror of the Valoran's.

"No choice? Lord Hanzo's division is still fresh, as are half of my men, and the rearguard faced little resistance - surely we could muster a screen, at least. Anything to slow down their approach and buy more time for Lord Nobunaga, nevermind ourselves."

"Valora's castle is the strongest in Ransei," Tadakatsu's boast was one that only a few could contest, and any claims to the contrary likely would have given him occasion to talk those objections down. "Our supplies are in no danger of running out and the coalition is in no position to assault our walls."

"Be that as it may," Hideyoshi began, staring back down at the map still sprawled out across the table. Tadakatsu saw Valora's castle - Hideyoshi saw Valora, as well as Spectra and Nixtorm and Dragnor. "Lady No is also fighting a rearguard action; we all know she won't be able to hold out against the Coalition's numbers. All it would take is for Spectra to fall even quicker than we anticipated - as we have - and a force left behind to pin us down in this castle for the main elements of their army to converge on Lords Nobunaga and Mitsuhide. We risk defeat in detail."

Valora's warlord looked unconvinced, but was kind enough to not be condescending in it. "Lord Hideyoshi, I doubt Lord Nobunaga would allow himself to be taken surprise like that."

"I'm not saying that he would, but that-" Hideyoshi was saved from having to engage in contrarianism by the door slamming open, a red-faced Koroku tumbling through.

"Urgent news, sir!" that the Ignite looked ready to pass out at any moment and still forced the words out gave him the undivided attention of the gathered warlords. "Honnoji has been razed!"

There was a moment of silence as the declaration slowly settled in, during which Koroku forced himself upright, sweat rolling down his rough features instead of splashing unimpeded against the varnish below.

"Razed?" Valora's warlord said for all of them.

"To the ground. I thoroughly examined the site; not a soul or corpse to be found."

"And what of Lord Mitsuhide and Nixtorm's reinforcements?"

"Nowhere in sight."

Ieyasu asked no further question, his gaze drooped to the floor, and after a good second mustered the will to drag his feet over to the chair at the head of the table and sink down into it. A hand quickly covered his mien, fingers reaching up into a receding hairline to grasp at hair that had long vanished.

"He knew..." Hideyoshi's whisper made him the focus of Ieyasu's dread. The exile felt his trembling lips harden into a grimace, shaky eyes moving from northern Ransei to the southern kingdoms on the map. "Lord Motonari - he _knew_ Lord Nobunaga wouldn't arrive. He said as such. He let us corner ourselves."

"I... I can't imagine Lord Mitsuhide is working with the coalition," Nene voiced, herself and Hideyoshi understanding the unsaid conjunction of 'not after I remained loyal'.

"Neither can I," the hapless tone of Valora's warlord said otherwise. "But Lord Hideyoshi is right - the situation has changed considerably, and we can't allow ourselves to be trapped here."

"Sir?" Tadakatsu's voice was refreshingly resolute, serving both as a quiet objection and a reaffirmation of support. Ieyasu sighed, letting his hand drop from his face and fall against the table.

"Send Hanzo out to negotiate for surrender and safe passage. Ready the garrison to march as soon as we receive word back - tell them to be prepared for a marching retreat, if necessary."

"If necessary..." Hideyoshi echoed listlessly, watching Tadakatsu march out of the room, straight from one battle to another.

* * *

Motonari - sitting down at one of the larger fragments of the table he had managed to recover - felt Serperior prick his consciousness before the approaching disturbance could make itself known. The Greenleafer, using his thumb as a bookmark, looked up from the hardback resting on his knee to watch as Tadashi staggered into the ruined camp. The Auroran resembled a drunkard; heavy, swaying steps that threatened to topple the warlord, combined with sagging shoulders and a downwards gaze that was punctuated with a haggard wheeze. Motonari stood, uncertain if the Auroran had taken notice of him, and then rushed over to Tadashi the moment his legs finally gave out. His Umbreon stepped out of the warlord's shadow, throwing Motonari a wary gaze but hopping aside as he crouched to help the hacking Auroran.

"Lord Tadashi, are-" the Greenleafer was cut off as a stream of blood escaped the Auroran's lips, his own twisting into a heavyset frown as he watched Tadashi raise an arm to Umbreon's head. Horror mixed with disgust as only a second after Tadashi's hand found his partner did the Moonlight Pokémon bow and then mewl out in pain, followed by the Warlord's breathing becoming increasingly shallow and steady. The Auroran finally gathered the strength to sit upright, knees folded, and undid the knots holding his helmet down; the battered armor fell to the ground, giving the Greenleafer a good view of brown mixed with strands of silver that should not have been found on someone as young as Aurora's warlord.

_"We've seen this before, haven't we?"_ he thought to Serperior, still patiently playing sentinel in the corner. The Grass Type's reply made his skin crawl against a torrent of long-repressed memories. Motonari gave a gentle shake of his head as he wrapped an arm around Tadashi's. _"No. I won't let that come to pass. Not again."_

"You are abusing your link," the Greenleafer said, firmly, as he let Tadashi lean on him.

"I didn't ask for this ability," the Auroran replied as he walked - staggered - over to a surviving chair with Motonari's help.

_"And I have heard that before as well,"_ the thought came and went as the Greenleafer took a seat, and he settled on a less charged expression as he reached into his coat. "I have been indisposed for too long, it seems."

Tadashi nodded wordlessly; whether or not he understood the implication, Motonari didn't bother to ask as he produced a flask and held it out. The twin arced an eyebrow at the sight.

"Drink, for your sake," Tadashi hesitantly removed the cork and took a whiff of the contents inside. Motonari allowed himself the luxury of looking amused at the insinuation; Tadashi, satisfied that it wasn't alcoholic, put the flask to his lips, taking a hearty swig. The Auroran immediately tore his lips away from the drink as its bitter, medicinal nature quickly made itself apparent, and would have turned to look back at Motonari had his vision not started spinning.

"What was that?" he asked weakly, the hand holding the flask growing heavy as he sloppily dropped it onto the table.

"A sleeping draught," came Motonari's reply, sounding distant and irrepressibly sluggish to the Auroran's ears.

"A sleeping... draught..." Tadashi began to sway in seat, eyes finally moving to meet Motonari's dispassionate features. "Why..." it came out as a croak, blissful sleep claiming the Auroran a breath later. Motonari leaned forward, catching his shoulder to keep him from falling forward.

"Because I know your path all too well," came the mossy man's whisper as he pushed the Auroran back upright, Tadashi's head rolling to the side. "And we will have much to discuss."


	52. Chapter 52

It had been a slow, drearily silent march through ice and wintery roads, but Mitsuhide's heart still pounded like he had been sprinting a marathon. Even the heat from nearby torches did little to help with the cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck. But he hid it all - all the nerves, the guilt, the indignation that had finally boiled over internally. He had hid it for years, another hour for the sake of presenting resolute leadership would be nothing.

Finally, the light of the torches was mollified by the distant glow of a sea of lanterns. He brought his hand up, and ignored the disquieted murmurs that came from behind him as the army ground to a practiced halt. Nixtorm's warlord turned and nodded to his lieutenant, and briefly speculated whether Toshimitsu had flinched because he had doubled down on his façade or because it had slipped without him noticing. Regardless of his composure, Toshimitsu acted with all the professionalism that had earned him Mitsuhide's full confidence, gesturing for the supplies in the back to begin moving up while the warlord turned to address his soldiers.

The air hung thick with chill - enough that it threatened to freeze whatever words he might say. On other occasions, he would have thought twice about what he was going to ask of his warriors. The sound of a supply chest being dropped to his right smashed whatever reservations he had left.

"Men of Nixtorm," his voice - the usual calm of it twisted into a near-unrecognizable tone of imperiousness - quieted what whispers were left. The feeling of dozens of pairs of eyes all focused on him only emboldened Mitsuhide. "We have been called here to help prolong a war that should have never come to our doorstep. _I_ call you here to help me end it before it can," the warlord's lieutenant was the only one to seem unperturbed. "What I am about to ask of you is high treason. Should we fail, we loose our heads. If we succeed, we live with a black stain on our honor. I have not led you here for glory, but for a necessary evil. Any who object are free to leave."

Like so much else, Mitsuhide refused to show the reservations he felt bubbling in his gut as a pregnant pause hung over them. He watched as a few warriors spared glances at each other from the corners of their eyes, doubtlessly waiting to see who would be the first to respond. Finally one warrior took a step forward and brought a fist to his chest, the only sound audible over the din of sideways glances. Another followed. Then another. Before Mitsuhide could even count to five his entire army had given him a silent oath. The Nixtormite gave a taciturn nod back and motioned for Toshimitsu to open the war chest that had been brought to the front of the army. The retainer swung it open with an audible thud, and pulled a bow and a full quiver out of the pile inside.

Archery was a dying art: in the face of gunpowder, Pokémon, and other traditional weaponry, it was increasingly being seen as little more than a pastime or a tool for hunters. He had overheard some speculative whispers about why they had emptied the castle armory and even more about the order for them to be coated in resin. Now Nixtorm's warriors had their answer: they were hunting a demon tonight. Mitsuhide drew himself back to the sleepy temple in the distance, lying unaware of the intent of the distant army as bows were passed out to those who knew how to use them.

"We're ready, sir," Toshimitsu said to his right. Mitsuhide nodded, grabbing the proffered torch and tilting it towards Nobunaga's lodgings.

"Our enemy is at Honnoji!"

Nixtorm resumed its march, lighter in pace and heavier in step as they quickly erased the gap between themselves and visibility. And then Mitsuhide felt himself grind to a halt at the sight that awaited him. He had been prepared for the entirety of Dragnor's army laying in wait for him, and even bringing flammable arrows for the possibility of a siege. Mitsuhide had steeled himself for the possibility that Nobunaga might even have been waiting for him personally.

Nothing could have prepared him for Honnoji looking completely abandoned.

He raised a hand and the rest of the warriors skidded to a halt in their mad dash at the temple. The lanterns decking the oft-abandoned temple were lit, but there was no night watch, no signs of movement on the grounds or within the exposed, open-air courtyard - not even any noise coming from within the walls of the structure proper. Either Nobunaga had travelled with so small a retinue that it might as well have been nonexistent, or was going against all conventional wisdom and letting an entire army sleep inside of a single, unguarded structure. Either way, it was one handwritten invitation short of being begging, and he would learn the truth soon enough.

"Spread out! Surround the temple and watch all exits! I want no one to escape!" he began ordering individual groups of warriors to certain points, and before long only had a small group of warriors and the archers at his back. His lips, already pursed, twisted into a scowl when the temple failed to show any more signs of life at the sound of dozens of warriors and Pokémon running around it. Mitsuhide turned to his lieutenant.

"Toshimitsu," the Nixtormite silently lifted his bow, already knocked with an arrow, up towards his lord. Mitsuhide lowered the torch next to the arrowhead, the cloth around it lighting up quicker than Masamune on a good day. Toshimitsu turned to the warrior next to him: within a minute the entire line of archers were aiming at the temple.

"Fire!" streams of light arced through the air at his order, a fusillade of brimstone burying itself into the tiles of the roof's temple. Mitsuhide inclined his torch again, and moments later another volley sang as it flew towards the smoldering edifice. The Nixtormite felt a vague sense of gratification as the flames licked their way across the building - first, to other parts of the roof and the beams supporting it, and then slowly moving to engulf the whole structure. He would have even dared to call the illumination mesmerizing, had the pungent odor of smoke not kept his mind from wandering too far.

Perhaps the warriors inside Honnoji were more captivated by it than him, as there was no rush of people or Pokémon out the gates, no alarms or panicked cries coming from within its wooden walls. He might have just as well set fire to an empty building. Mitsuhide scowled - if Nobunaga thought he could wait him out, he was sorely mistaken.

* * *

"Lord Nobunaga!" the Dragnovian's eyes opened a split-second before Ranmaru thrust the door to his quarters open. The page's visit was as anticipated as Mitsuhide's - Ranmaru blazed into his room with enough ferocity to put the fires eating away at the west wing of the temple to shame. His Lucario was close on his heels, standing guard at the doorway with an auric bone at the ready. "We're under-"

Ranmaru cut himself off with a panicked blink when he realized Nobunaga was well awake, sitting cross-legged dead center in the cell he claimed for his own. At most, he succeeded in rousing Hydreigon from its rest. "...attack."

"Punctual as usual, Mitsuhide," Nobunaga said with a small chuckle as he rose. Hydreigon grunted out something echoing the sentiment as it floated around the room, finding the nearing scent of smoke not unwelcome. Ranmaru blinked and Lucario even lowered its guard long enough to spare an incredulous look over its shoulder.

"My Lord?" Ranmaru voiced as the Dragnovian marched over to the nearby window, getting a good view of the flames steadily engulfing the front of the temple.

"You are free to leave, Ranmaru," Nobunaga replied, folding his arms over his encased chest.

"Lord Nobunaga!?" Ranmaru took a panicked step forward and began to object. Nobunaga almost felt like letting out a sigh - his page's refusal to budge was not an unexpected outcome, just as had been his stubborn insistence to accompany him even when he dismissed the rest of his guards. He waved his hand downwards absently, an offhanded gesture that only Hydreigon picked up on. For the first time in decades, the Dragon felt a hint of hesitation prick it before it followed Nobunaga's silent command. It pushed it aside and brought down a clenched appendage on Ranmaru's head as he was in the middle of expressing his loyalty in increasingly frenetic tones. Lucario spun around just in time to see Hydreigon catching the boy before his body - now better resembling a rag doll in posture - could hit the floor. The Aura Pokémon levelled its weapon at Nobunaga and his partner, silently demanding an explanation for what had just occurred.

"Do you desire for Ranmaru to die here?" Nobunaga's sonorous voice echoed out from the windowsill. Lucario blinked and let its bone-shaped staff drop as Hydreigon draped an unconscious Ranmaru over its back. Nobunaga refused to feel proud at having so quickly disarmed his page's partner - the Pokmeon shared his sense of loyalty, but not for Nobunaga. The Dragnovian turned away from the flames to fix his gaze upon his partner.

"Return them to Dragnor. Nobunaga will follow once this has been dealt with."

Hydreigon bowed, long neck aching with hesitation, and begrudgingly proffered its back to the other Pokémon. Nobunaga's attentions turned back to the encroaching flames.

* * *

Mitsuhide felt a low, rumbling growl escape his throat. He had watched Honnoji burn for what felt like hours, waiting for the faintest sign of life from within it. He was contemplating the idea of whether or not he really had been the victim of an exceedingly cruel trick when the sound of roof collapsing drew his attention back to the temple. Wood groaning against crackling flame was not unusual by this point: already much of the façade of the temple had been reduced to a crumbling mess. What was unusual was seeing a Dragon Pulse break through the corrugated tiling on one of the few sections that had yet to be completely engulfed in the inferno. Hydreigon rocketed out of the structure seconds later, and nearby warriors wasted no time in shouting attacks at it. The Brutal Pokémon spared the time to turn around unleash another pulse of energy at the incoming barrage of ice attacks, which also gave Mitsuhide the time to notice the distinctive figure of Nobunaga was nowhere on its crowded back.

He grimaced. The Nixtormite knew Nobunaga sending away his most trusted servants was another open invitation - it also confirmed that Nobunaga would have likely come alone had Ranmaru not doubtlessly refused to abandon his side, and that the Dragnovian was be well aware of what would transpire here. Mitsuhide sighed out the last of his reservations.

_"Had we caught a portion of Dragnor's army unawares here, there'd be no fear of immediate reprisal in the event of our success... But now..."_ Mitsuhide's gaze swept over his countrymen. _"Even should Aurora win, retaliation would be eminent. If there is a chance my blood alone would preemptively slake any wanton destruction..."_

"Toshimitsu," the retainer snapped to attention and quickly joined his side.

"Sir?"

Mitsuhide turned and passed the torch to Toshimitsu. "Protect her with your life."

"My lord?" Mitsuhide ignored the unsaid objection.

"Rally the men and return to Nixtorm," he took a step forward, and heard another choked objection come from his second in command. "It would be foolhardy to ask any more of you here. This is my fight to finish."

He didn't look back as Toshimitsu began shouting orders and Nixtormites rushed past him. Within minutes the cacophony of marching had given way for the solace of crackling flames and collapsing wood. It was homely, almost, Mitsuhide thought before moving his hand to his sword and taking a step through the flaming threshold. Smoke had assailed his senses well before he crossed the temple grounds, but now it caused his vision to blur and throat to tighten as he carefully moved towards the garden that made up the complex's center. The walls let out a grave groan against the all-consuming heat of the flames. Mitsuhide ignored their warning, as he ignored his reservations portending his own fate.

The fire surrounding the garden cast an unearthly, flickering wan on the still ponds and stone paths that dotted it; but the smoke no longer threatened to choke the very breath out of him nor did he have to worry about the roof collapsing on him. Naturally, it was the place his lord - mentally, he spat at the word - was waiting.

"Is _this_ what you wanted?" Mitsuhide snarled as Nobunaga came fully into view, telling smirk and all. The Nixtormite slowly brought his blade out of its sheathe, levelling the finely-polished metal at the warlord opposite to him. Nobunaga's face remained unmoving, his eyebrow having already been arced sometime between the 'you' and 'wanted'. "Are you happy now? Now that you've spat on all those who sacrificed for you and delivered Ransei into the hands of the Aurorans?"

Nobunaga laughed. Not the hollow chuckles he was given to when humoring fools, but a deep, bellowing cackle from the gut that grinded against Mitsuhide's bones. The Nixtormite held in a growl, well past the point of commiserating at how far he had fallen, but still having enough dignity to not show it.

"Yes," Nobunaga replied, in a tone that was as close to genuinely pleased as Mitsuhide had ever heard from him. "And Nobunaga thanks you for playing your part with aplomb."

"I did," Mitsuhide brought his blade back to grip it with both hands. "But no more. This farce ends here."

"Indeed."

Nobunaga didn't draw his sword. Mitsuhide didn't give him time to, either; with the speed he was renowned for, the Nixtormite rushed forward, target and result visualized as a single-minded determination at the forefront of his his mind. He got within striking distance of Nobunaga before the Dragnovian could react. Mitsuhide swung upwards, seeing the line across his foe's exposed neck before it materialized. He blinked, anticipating blood spatter. His vision refocused when none came.

Nobunaga was now a yard away, smirk unmoving and sword now dangling lazily at his side. He raised a plated hand. Mitsuhide only realized his teeth had been grinding when he opened his mouth to let out a vindictive shout as he rushed forward again, feinting the same upwards slash as before only to swing his blade around his head and bring it down on the Dragnovian in one fluid, instantaneous motion. Nobunaga responded even more quickly; metal sang as it crashed against metal, the warlord having fully seen through Mitsuhide's feint and blocked it without the slightest sign of distress. Mitsuhide responded with a short leap backwards and a lunge aimed for right beneath the chin, only to growl when that was parried right as the steel got tantalizingly close to reaching it's target. Nobunaga refused to give physical ground, and Mitsuhide returned in kind with spirit: another withdrawal and wide slash aimed at Nobunaga's offhand was redirected upwards, and the opportunistic slash downwards was deadlocked long enough for Nobunaga to meet his gaze as he swung the attack sideways. The Nixtormite let out a huff as he stumbled back, sweat beading down his face and onto the grass below. Nobunaga looked entirely unaffected by the heat. Mitsuhide scowled - it was bad enough to be rebuffed, but what grated on the Nixtormite's nerves even more was not how easily Nobunaga accomplished it, but was how easy he had made it look. The Dragnovian had used no form, no stance or technique to speak of; his reactions had only been that, and precisely automatic no less. There was no finesse whatsoever, just a combination of an alacrity to match his own and a restrained strength he openly flaunted. And they both knew it: Nobunaga's smirk hadn't budged during their dance, but it only claimed more of his face now.

"Mitsuhide," the man in black lowered his blade enough that, had Mitsuhide been any more desperate, he might have mistaken it for a lull in his guard. "Nobunaga is disappointed in you: all that trouble, all that _sacrifice_ \- for _this?_ Surely you can do better."

The Nixtormite felt an almighty shout welling up in the back of his throat, finally pushing itself past his lips as charged forwards. Muscles groaned in protest from the building tension in the precious few seconds before he lashed out. Nobunaga's blade presented itself seconds before Mitsuhide's steel could make its mark, metal screeching against metal as the Nixtormite pushed into the block. Nobunaga didn't budge, giving his assailant the satisfaction of shifting his grip on his sword and thrusting the pommel straight into his glib face. That did make Nobunaga stagger backwards. Mitsuhide drew his blade backwards, aiming his next cut at one of the few gaps in Nobunaga's plate; the underarm.

"Good," the Dragnovian drawled, ignoring the swelling in his cheekbone as he actually assumed a stance to block. "Nobunaga was beginning to wonder if you had any sanguinity left."

"I have plenty to spill," Mitsuhide said as he sent a paring glance at Nobunaga's flank. Had he not been trying to figure out which school of swordsmanship Nobunaga was drawing upon, he would have found himself more annoyed at the Dragnovian's silence than any continuation of the banter. The Nixtormite decided the stolid, unbending blocks and tight stance was indicative of Valora's signature form - the obvious counter to the wide, keen movements that Nixtorm emphasized. Mitsuhide appropriately responded, switching effortlessly to the Violight school of precise, frenetic attacks as he unleashed a flurry of slashes that barely managed to maintain what little momentum he had gained. Even if he had succeeded at getting Nobunaga to move, he still made no headway against his ever-shifting defense. Every clash of their swords sung in his ears, the crackling of the temple sounding like the whispers of an audience to their delicate dance.

"Tell me," Mitsuhide began as they deadlocked momentarily - partly in a vain hope of shaking Nobunaga's concentration, but there was a genuine element of curiosity that had had remained his most consistent companion. "Why? Why go through all the trouble of conquering half of Ransei just to surrender it?" there was a sharp twang as their swords parted and crashed into each other again. "Were you truly willing to gamble your ambition with a final battle at Dragnor?" metal groaned as one edge grinded against the other for a second longer than they should have. "Would ruling Ransei be worth gutting it?"

"Rule?" Nobunaga chuckled beneath pursed lips as he parried the latest thrust. "Ah, to see so far and still be so shortsighted..." he flung his blade upwards, redirecting Mitsuhide's strike skywards and forcing the Nixtormite to leap backwards to avoid a counter that never came. "Nobunaga had hoped Motonari would do a better job - or perhaps your perception is simply deficient."

Mitsuhide countered with another feinted thrust - and then dipped last second, right before Nobunaga could parry him. He twisted his wrists and swung upwards with as much force as he could muster, steel slamming into Nobunaga's grip. The Demon King's sword flew from his hand, clattering noisily against one of the distant rock gardens. In a single fluid motion, the Nixtormite brought his sword overhead and back down on Nobunaga's, stopping short of his exposed jugular. There was a moment of dead silence between the two - Nobunaga looking as inscrutable as ever, and Mitsuhide trying his hardest to as cold steel hovered an inch away from Nobunaga's flesh.

"Even now you cling to what honor remains," Mitsuhide tried to muster the willpower to slit the Dragnovian's throat and be done with it. "And that is what makes you so indispensable."

Mitsuhide blinked, and then felt his features harden at the reminder. The Nixtormite's grip shifted, but a swift push kick from Nobunaga sent him stumbling backwards. He recovered his stance in time to see that Nobunaga had made no move towards recovering his downed blade; the Dragnovian merely raised a hand and motioned for him to attack. Mitsuhide obliged, letting out an enraged shout as he rushed forwards, blade angled to skewer him. Nobunaga didn't act - only when the Nixtormite brought his blade up did he move. The man in blue held in a growl as his quarry effortlessly sidestepped the thrust; he quickly spun around and brought the steel overhead. Nobunaga raised an arm, Mitsuhide's sword twanging as it futilely slashed against hard plate. Red began collecting at the corners of his vision; he brought his sword overhead again, muscles falling into the well-practiced routine as steel sliced through the smoky air.

There was a resounding clap as Nobunaga's hands latched around the blade, stopping it midair. Mitsuhide felt his breath hitch as he fixated on the sight of Nobunaga having pincered his sword like he was squashing a Bug Type.

"This has been very amusing, Mitsuhide," the warlord in black said as he tightened his grip and pulled. The Nixtormite's sword landed with a soft, innocuous thud against the grass, and before he had a chance to move, Nobunaga's fist coiled itself around his neck. "And you have done a magnificent job here."

Even being dangled above the ground by his neck, grabbing onto Nobunaga's gauntleted fists in a battle for air, Mitsuhide still managed to choke out an objection.

"You..." the Nixtormite wormed his fingers underneath the Dragnovian's. "Mephistophelian..." He used his newfound height to bring his legs up. "Madman!"

Mitsuhide kicked off of Nobunaga's chest, ripping himself out of Nobunaga's clutches and landing, not ungracefully, a respectable distance backwards. He took in a few heavy breaths and then realized his neck was burning; ignoring the smoke flaring in his nostrils, he brought a shaky hand to the angry scratches lining his neck and realized that he might not have loosened Nobunaga's iron grip as much as he believed. His gaze shifted to his sword; it had landed not far away from him, but was closer to Nobunaga. Cool eyes returned to the Dragnovian, immediately ruling out hand-to-hand as a viable option.

Nobunaga hadn't followed him - he had let his hand fall back to his side, looking even more amused at his foe's tenacity than the sight of him flying backwards through the smoldering air.

"Madman?" the Dragnovian let out a low, rumbling sound that resemble a chuckle. "Do you end an age of madness with reason, Mitsuhide?" Nobunaga's boot wedged itself between the earth and Mitsuhide's downed blade, kicking the latter back in his direction. "Or does one simply impose their own madness upon it?"

The Nixtormite's eyes flickered between his blade and Nobunaga, knowing full well the challenge he had just issued. He could detect the illumination of the flames surrounding them in the polished steel, their crackling have transmogrified into the accusations of the damned. Even more faintly, he could see Nobunaga's mirthless smile. Mitsuhide let the sword lie fallow and drew a different weapon.

"You wanted an excuse to let the front-lines collapse," he began. No noise - condescending chuckle or equally aggrandizing statement - came from the man he intended to slay. "And you already allowed all the suspected traitors to cannibalize each other. So what better way than to create one from your inner circle?"

Saying it aloud made it sound even more absurd - but it was the only reason Mitsuhide could think of as to why Nobunaga would have goaded him into it. The Nixtormite took little consolation in the fact that his audience was even more absurd than his idea.

"The Aurorans would sweep through the north, and you would rally your army in Dragnor just in time for the decisive battle that would deliver all of Ransei into your hands with a single, fell swoop - and anyone the wiser would be slain."

"An excellent deduction, Mitsuhide," Nobunaga said, giving Mitsuhide an overwhelming sense of schadenfreude. "And all the better that it, too, is nothing but another fantasy."

Even against the heat, the Nixtormite felt a glacial sensation crawl down the back of his neck. He tried to force out any word against the panic slowly congealing inside of him - Nobunaga, certainly not out of pity, elucidated.

"Men trust fully in the grand illusion of the self," the Dragnovian's step forward came off like a clap of thunder. "But any action invariably creates a... reaction. _That_ is Ransei's history, Mitsuhide - one rising to the challenge, only to be fruitlessly repudiated by the other." Nobunaga's eyes drifted away from his rebellious general and towards the burning edifice surrounding them. "A vicious, perpetual cycle that must be broken."

Mitsuhide found himself captivated, a prisoner to his own numbed senses as he watched Nobunaga's thoughts slowly unravel themselves into something even more insidious than when they had been inscrutable.

"And so, Mitsuhide, Nobunaga defies history - by authoring it," for the briefest of seconds, a lupine grin broke through the smirk. "The south was unified because Nobunaga provided impetus. Shingen and Kenshin humbled themselves because Nobunaga left them no other recourse. The Aurorans will sweep through the north, as Nobunaga has willed so - and they shall _win_ at Dragnor because Nobunaga must be defeated. Ransei finally has a common cause - because Nobunaga has provided one." the Dragnovian's gaze hardened. "Ransei shall know peace - a lasting peace, one that shall survive us - because Nobunaga has made the _other_ utterly unconscionable."

"You..." Mitsuhide was amazed he had found the presence to utter even a single word. Even through his gloves Mitsuhide could feel his nails digging half-moons into his palms - the smoldering air having taken an oppressive turn as his vision blurred at the thoughts whirling around in his head. The bestial growl that came from the back of his throat would have worried him any other time. "You're insane..." the growl turned into a raving roar he long believed he was no longer capable of mustering. "YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY MAD!"

The laugh that came out of Nobunaga turned the rage that had been threatening to send Mitsuhide diving for his blade into icy hesitation. It was a far cry from any sound he had heard escape the man in black: a genuine, if not melancholic, laugh. One that made his skin crawl in ways that he hadn't thought possible.

"And yet..." Nobunaga whispered, as if there had been no elation at all. He took another step forward, gaze looking well sharper than any sword he had seen. "You followed, Mitsuhide - for the longest time, without questioning." Time froze for the Nixtormite, while Nobunaga just marched forward another step. "Is that not the greatest madness of all? That men shall believe what they desire to?" Mitsuhide, slowly, found his bearings amid Nobunaga's soliloquy. The sword at his feet gleamed devilishly with the dim reflection of the flames. Delicately, he placed a foot on the flattened edge of the blade. "And if it is so, then let them reject the world Nobunaga has shown, and embrace the facsimile opposite to it - an ideal cornerstone, for an idyll Ransei."

"A Ransei you have no place in!" Mitsuhide slammed his foot down, jolting the blade upwards enough that he could handily grab it. Within the span of a second the blade was back in his hands and levelled at Nobunaga. His movement was faster than his mind could process; the Nixtormite thrust his sword forward, and was rewarded with the sound of rending metal as the blade stuck. The still silence that followed was broken with a cautious gulp on Mitsuhide's part - Nobunaga hadn't so much as winced when the Nixtormite's sword tore through the gap between his pauldron and breastplate and buried itself in his shoulder. And then the corners of his lips crept upwards.

"Every story needs a villain, Mitsuhide," the Dragnovian said, in a thundering calm. "And what greater story could there be than that of Ransei's unification? Mitsuhide; be honored. You have been chosen as one of its protagonists."

Mitsuhide heard the crack before he felt it. He was sent wheeling back from Nobunaga's backhand, pain swelling across his face as the taste of copper flooded his mouth. The Nixtormite's vision stopped spinning just in time to watch Nobunaga pull the sword out of his shoulder with little more than a grunt, roll it, and then flick the steel across the garden. Had Mitsuhide had the sense of mind to do anything, it would have been to throw a punch back - but he did not, and Nobunaga was too swift, driving a plated fist into the Nixtormite's gut. He doubled over and wheezed, and would have cried out in pain had his voice not failed him. A sharp kick sent him into a crumpled heap onto the floor, futilely grasping for breath as the scent of brimstone burned in his nostrils and bile and blood forced themselves past his lips. The Dragnovian loomed over the man in blue, watching impassively as he first frantically gasped for breath and then began to hold what little of it remained. Nobunaga threw his boot out again, stopping just short of actually kicking Mitsuhide in the ribs to roll him over. Mitsuhide stared back up, eyes shaking in silent horror as Nobunaga rested the boot that had turned him over on Mitsuhide's exposed neck.

"We both have our roles to play, Mitsuhide. Nobunaga's is to end this conflict. Yours shall outlast this conflict," Nobunaga, lips upturned, applied a little bit of pressure to the Nixtormite's neck; he was too weak to do little more than croak out an objection. "The new Ransei shall need a man of your caliber - your life would be wasted here."

"W-What..." a few deep breaths followed Mitsuhide's realization that he could feel air in his lungs again. His vision had steadied, even if his voice hadn't. "What are you?"

Nobunaga removed his foot from the Nixtormite's neck and lowered himself to one knee, peering down at the fallen warlord. Even if Mitsuhide had the strength, he wouldn't have tried moving. For the briefest of seconds, Nobunaga's dark eyes betrayed something that reminded him of the look that Motonari had worn when the Greenleafer regaled him with his past.

"A necessary evil."

As if Nobunaga had just crushed his neck, Mitsuhide felt the last of his will escape him in a weak, raspy groan.

This was hell - and Nobunaga was God.

"Return to Nixtorm, Mitsuhide," the Dragnovian said, dispassionately, rising and moving towards what was left of the temple entrance. Mitsuhide heard the sound of stiff grass crunching underneath Nobunaga's boots as he marched by.

"The war shall be over soon; only a few more sacrifices remain for Nobunaga's ambition to be realized."


	53. Chapter 53

"Lord Motonari!"

The Greenleafer's eyes drifted up from the haze of history that was sprawled out beneath him, images of the written word being displaced with one of Oichi - against a slowly declining sun - running into the main camp. Her feet ground to a halt the moment her eyes caught Tadashi's figure; as the Auroran was still unconscious, his Umbreon took it upon itself to meet her gaze. Motonari blinked when he realized that Tadashi had slumped forward, head downturned at a decidedly uncomfortable angle. The Dragnovian's eyes turned to him, and he only offered a disarming smile in turn.

"Let him have his rest."

Tadashi issued an objection with a groggy groan, a shaky hand going to massage the nape of his neck as he blinked back into consciousness. His hand moved down from the neck to the back of the shoulder that had nearly been severed by Tadakatsu - a stifled cry cut off any coherent words. Oichi was at his side within a second.

"Oichi, I..." he began to protest, but quickly found himself devoid of elocution in the face of her glare; the intensity of which made the pain shooting up his arm seem inconsequential.

"Nearly got yourself killed!" hearing Oichi growl frightened Tadashi more than the prospect of Tadakatsu's spear ever could.

"I knew what I was doing," her hand wrapped itself around his wrist in response, the simple motion enough for his wound to protest. Tadashi maintained his mien, unwilling to show any pain.

"So do I, and-"

"Lady Oichi, I'm afraid I have little idea myself," Motonari did not give a subtle reprimand, Oichi thought, but it was a gracious one. She exhaled, almost sheepishly, shoulders sagging and face melting back into its usual passivity as she turned to face the phlegmatic Greenleafer. "Would you be so kind as to tell me the status of the front? I'm afraid I've been indisposed."

"Lord Shingen's negotiated the surrender of Valora," the girl breathed out, auburn ponytail swinging with the smallest shake of her head. Motonari and Tadashi both understood it was self-effacing.

"We should join up with the others, then," Motonari said, soft voice managing to project an air of finality as he stood. Oichi nodded and looked back to Tadashi, face softening and holding out a hand. He slipped his good hand into it, staggering upwards. Oichi frowned when she caught the split-second flinch, and squared her shoulders as she let Tadashi lean on her, slowly following Motonari's steps towards their conquest.

* * *

"With Valora ours - and undoubtedly Spectra with it - all that remains is Nixtorm," Motonari, watching the sunset from the vantage of Valora's balcony, found himself musing. "Then the noose will be complete."

He turned away from the dying daylight, looking back into the uppermost room in the castle; Valora's throne room, where Aurora's Warlord could sit regal while he attempted to dodge Oichi's attempts to examine him. Tadashi had given up the ghost when she pulled hard enough on his wrist to force him to muzzle a cry; now he was sitting, shirtless, with Oichi applying salve to a cut he hadn't even been aware of.

"I know I can't convince you to stop," she said, trying to avoid staring at his musculature. "But at least let me fix you when it comes to this."

The Auroran nodded wordlessly, lifting up his arm, barely wincing as it settled at a crooked angle. Motonari watched as Oichi wrapped one hand around a bicep and rested the other against his shoulder; the pop that followed as Tadashi's shoulder was fully reset echoed throughout the room. The Auroran just exhaled breathlessly, rolling his shoulder before slipping his tunic back on. Feeling Motonari's shadow-covered gaze upon him, the Auroran angled his head to meet the mossy man. The Greenleafer's response was for his gaze to wordlessly shift to Oichi, the subdued motion as fleeting as the frown that crossed his face. Tadashi understood.

"Oichi..." Tadashi rattled out, throat suddenly dry. "Would you be so kind as to leave us for a moment?"

Her visage moved to Motonari's and then back to Tadashi, head inclining but legs remaining still. He watched as her fingers - her hands intertwined neatly in front of her, close enough that he could reach out and grasp them at any point - began to tremble.

"I..." her voice was just as weak as his, the sound reminding him of his shoulder. He felt his lips responding to the drag of his conscience, knowing she understood full well what the topic was going to be.

"Lady Oichi," Motonari's calm, lofty voice stood a stark contrast to the grim air that seemed to have taken roost in his vicinity. "You may stay if you desire, but you will not like what you will hear."

The Dragnovian nodded, somewhere between resolute and regretful. Motonari's eyes returned to the Auroran, seated precariously on Valora's throne.

"Before we begin, I must know - was it Lady Kazumi's capture that served as the catalyst?"

Tadashi blinked, indifferent mask dropping in the face of a deluge of long-restrained emotions. Shaky eyes peered back at the Greenleafer from underneath the auspices of the hand rubbing at his temple.

"I..." he croaked out, followed by a hesitant swallow. "I refused to be useless. And when I... came to understand the depth of the potential we held in our links, I could finally do more than watch events transpire," his gaze drifted to Oichi and her white-knuckled grip on the hem of her skirt, feeling another pang of conscience at the sight. "Enough that I could triumph over the likes of Tadakatsu Honda."

"I didn't ask for a justification, Lord Tadashi," Motonari replied after a pause, the warmth in his voice having been effortlessly replaced with a grim sobriety to rival his mien. "That you felt the need to provide one is telling."

Tadashi's complexion paled to the point of exsanguination, the unsaid cutting deeper than any of Tadakatsu's swings.

"I will not be dissuaded," he uttered, hands clenching around the armrests and forcing as much steel into his voice as he could.

Silence reigned as Motonari cast a glance back at the sunset - towards Nixtorm, towards Dragnor - and then returned to the Auroran with a silent huff. Oichi, standing resolutely his side, saw her last chance to excuse herself in Motonari's bearing and allowed it to pass.

"Do you know how your father died?"

Motonari's question shook the Auroran out of his stupor and left him looking even more disheveled. He blinked, once, then twice, gaze unmoving from the Greenleafer even as his mind whirled about. The grognard remained statuesque as the question hung heavy, enough that it threatened to choke the life out of Tadashi were he to remain silent.

"You played a role, didn't you?" Tadashi finally asked, leaving him with a greater sense of limbo than ever before.

"I did," Motonari replied with an indiscernible admixture, his eyes trailing to Tadashi's sword, resting innocuously against the armor stacked on the throne's flank. Tadashi slumped back against the throne, eyes rolling down to the blade and staying there for a second too long. Motonari's frown remained unmoving as the Auroran's hand found its way around the scabbard. Oichi could only flinch.

"Oichi..." his voice rumbled as he rose, cutting Oichi off as she moved to restrain him. He turned, eyeing the delicate hands squeezing his arm for a second before meeting her gaze for the first time in hours. Silently, Tadashi admired how well she kept composed in the face of the panic threatening to move beyond her eyes and consume the rest of her features. "I... cannot trust myself. Please," the plea was punctuated with an uneven gulp. Her lips went agape when he lifted up his sword to her. "Help me."

Oichi blinked, recomposing her features into something more stolid even as her eyes shifted from the sheathed steel to his eyes, finally grasping the sword with both hands. Tadashi let go and turned back to Motonari just in time to avoid seeing the Dragnovian begin to tear up. Tadashi wondered if it was just perspective, but Motonari's shoulders seemed to relax as he approached the Greenleafer.

"Tell me everything," the Auroran said - with a near growl - as he came to a stop, within arms reach of the strategist. Motonari, with his lanky, frail frame, still effected to look down at the twin as long-forgotten emotions of his own bubbled to the forefront of his still conscience. The two warlords found themselves slowly, ploddingly, gauging each other for an hour-long-second, before Motonari's eyes dropped and he gave a forlorn nod.

"How much do you know about your father? Truly?"

"That he was my uncle's brother, and my uncle did not like to talk about him."

"Such apprehension would be... understandable. Your uncle and father were not on the best of terms, and your father's death was the nadir of his career," Motonari let out a sigh and turned walking back to the balcony. The sun was beginning to dip below the mountain ranges surrounding Dragnor, and the Greenleafer found himself increasingly fixated on it. "It was also the end of my friend's."

"You were close?"

"Not with your father - I knew him personally for little more than a week," where Motonari's shoulders had been relaxed before, they now slumped. "No, things moved too fast. But Harukata always was insistent on charging headfirst into the future," he turned back to Tadashi - and the Auroran was taken aback at the sight of the gloss in Motonari's eyes. "What do you know about Harukata Sue?"

The Auroran arced an eyebrow cautiously, but humored the change in topics. "That he was one of the best warriors Greenleaf produced, and he opposed your takeover."

"A fiction, on both accounts," the corners of Motonari's lips tugged downwards, as if there was an addendum he debated on disclosing. "I opposed his rise to power - one in which your father was tragically entangled in - and he was _the_ best warrior Greenleaf had produced," the smile the flashed over his features would have been winsome had it lasted any longer. "At the mere age of seventeen he and his Garchomp had managed to shatter the illusion of Amago invulnerability, and put Greenleaf on the path to dominance of the south."

"A Garchomp? At _seventeen_?" Oichi gaped, her grip on Tadashi's sword loosening in the process. Both the Auroran and Greenleafer casted a curious glance back at her. "B- _Nobunaga_ didn't have Hydreigon until he was twenty-five."

Tadashi's features flattened and Motonari gave a tired nod.

"Yes. Harukata was more than aware of his strengths. Such that he came to believe only he could avenge our defeat at the gates of Ignis," the Greenleafer's gaze turned back to the Auroran. "His father - Okifusa, who was more of a father to me than my own - died in front of him, allowing himself to be impaled so Harukata would not. He was one of many who died, but the only person who could restrain Harukata's excesses. And in his misery, my friend discovered the true _depths_ of his potential." Motonari's eyes sharpened against Tadashi, and the Auroran felt a chill snake down his spine at the emphasis the Greenleafer used. "He came to understand the links that bind us as warriors - and I am... thoroughly convinced that the strain of abusing such a sacrosanct power further eroded his already weary psyche."

Tadashi forced back a gulp, and barely restrained the accompanying scowl.

"And how does my father factor into this?" he was pleasantly surprised he managed to keep his voice steady.

"Your father was to be a replacement for my former lord, posthumously adopted into the Ouchi after Harukata found a much-needed rallying cry against Ignis in the form of murder. That was the final transgression for me - and my subsequent betrayal was for Harukata. When we faced each other on that island, he had degraded beyond recognition," a stifled, weighty sigh followed. "I had to put him down. And your father - having lost any prospects of authority in his new kingdom and refusing to go back to Violight, where he had also lost any chance of utility to your uncle's coup - hung himself."

"I can only hope he was unaware that his wife, waiting in Violight for news of his victory, was pregnant," silence reigned as Motonari concluded, all the color having drained from Tadashi's face. He stepped - stumbled - backwards, eyes going to the throne he had been sitting on minutes prior. The Auroran settled for slumping against the wall as he processed Motonari's soliloquy. The Greenleafer could feel the corners of his lips wilting.

"Please, Lord Tadashi, for all of our sakes; stop abusing your link."

"I..." the Auroran's eyes wavered in the direction of the floorboards for a second. He straightened, head feinting in Oichi's direction before decidedly turning back towards the Greenleafer. The silvery eyes leering at the mossy man better resembled glass. "I cannot. We are so close to victory - victory attained through this... this _curse_. I must see it through."

"You need not undertake this yourself," Motonari replied calmly, masking a frown underneath a bittersweet smile.

"I cannot ask you to make my sacrifices, nor fight my battles," came the Auroran's automatic response. Motonari held in a sigh, inclining his head in a facsimile of a nod.

"Not anymore, no," his smile wavered into a thin, shaky frown. "But you have your sister, and I know she would not want you to be so cavalier."

"I don't want her," Tadashi let out a weighty breath, wracked with the thoughts of the only family he had left. Oichi took half a step forward at the sight, and then settled for keeping a tighter hold on his blade. "To be forced to carry burdens that should be mine. Not any more," he turned, striding over to the doorway before coming to a stop. His throat tightened. "I need to rest. Excuse me."

Tadashi's eyes flitted to Oichi, still holding his steel, and walked through the threshold before guilt could seize him fully. Oichi's shoulders sagged, the scabbard in her hands tapping the floorboards in the process. Motonari returned to the remaining sunset.

"The true battle is always fought in the hearts of men," Motonari's airy voice floated above the silence that had entrenched itself in the space between himself and Oichi. "To allow them to destroy themselves, to strip them of their wills and reason. In my inexperience, I was convinced that the most effective way to do so was to make a foe convinced of the futility or error of their cause. I was wrong - when Harukata impaled himself on my blade, when Yoshinaga hung himself, I discovered a more terrible method: to convince an opponent of the utter necessity of their cause," Oichi heard a shaky breath from the strategist. "And all the worse, then, for that conviction to become a mockery of its cause."

"What can we do?" Oichi's tone betrayed her hopelessness.

"Not we," he replied, finally wheeling around to face the girl in pink, having drawn over to his side. Oichi felt a pang of pity at how haggard the Greenleafer looked, the firmly set frown fully displaying his years. "I have made the greatest plea I can. Lady Oichi, you are perhaps the only person who can curtail the excesses of the man opposite of Nobunaga," Motonari's gaze turned to the doorway, and then back to the mountains of Dragnor. "We are alike, him and I. And I regret that it had to come to this... repetition."

"I don't..." Oichi breathed out, garnering Motonari's attention again. He placed a light hand on her shoulder and almost arced an eyebrow at how tense the muscles felt. "I don't know what to do."

"I fear, Lady Oichi, he believes you do," the Greenleafer replied, eyes settling on the weapon in her hands. "As do I. You have already resisted your brother, and have given the young master a reason to fight beyond mere reaction. If you falter - if he were to see you falter - I fear it would be the end of him. Continue as you have."

Oichi said nothing, her knuckles turning white as her grip tightened. Motonari's face settled underneath the veneer of a thin shadow as he turned towards the doorway.

"I understand..." the Dragnovian heard the words pass her lips as the Greenleafer's steps echoed in her head.

* * *

The moon had finally waxed full, illuminating Ginchiyo's path into Valora's garden. There were no torches, only metal-incased lanterns guiding the walkway, doubtlessly imported by Ieyasu. But it was more than enough for her to make out the outlines of her father and his Luxray, the former seated on one of the many wrought-iron benches adorning the shore of the Magikarp pond. She gained a second wind in her stride, quickly closing the gap on her father before the sound of another familiar voice made her grind to a halt.

"I have divulged what was necessary to the young master," Motonari's voice - and his figure, Ginchiyo realized - hummed from the vantage of her father's right. She maintained a respectful distance from the two, but close enough to still hear what sounded like a 'hmph' from Dosetsu.

"And you are certain that was wise?" his tone left little doubt in Ginchiyo's mind as to his position.

"I am certain it was necessary," came the Greenleafer's reply, equally as grave and with a tinge of remorse. "Even should he grow to hate me for it, it is a price I am willing to pay should it steer him from self-destruction. But that is all I can do."

"And if it is not enough?" The silence that followed drowned out the sound of Magikarp surfacing and managed to make Ginchiyo's skin crawl.

"Then I will do what I must," Motonari finally said, "I am sorry our conversation had to take this turn, but you needed to know. Regardless, I believe I have kept your daughter waiting."

Ginchiyo involuntarily squared her shoulders as Motonari rose and silently treaded by, a small bow in her direction being the only sign that he even noticed the Violighter. Perhaps it was the lighting, but the Greenleafer seemed to have taken on an extra decade to Ginchiyo's eyes. But once the warlord slinked back into the shadows he had momentarily left behind, her attentions returned to the man sitting on the bench.

"Father," she said with a bow. Dosetsu nodded and motioned for her to drop the formalism. "We've been given the honor of taking Nixtorm tomorrow."

Dosetsu's face remained unmoving, as if any emotion was constrained by the firmly-set wrinkles and worry lines that had creased themselves into his face, but he managed a firm nod.

"Only Violight?" Ginchiyo's wordless nod made a small smile force itself onto his face. "Well, I suppose there is some benefit to Lord Kenshin being indisposed."

Ginchiyo barely suppressed a cough at her father's dry delivery, stuck between resisting the urge to mimic him and feel guilty over it. News of Kenshin's collapse and subsequent withdrawal into one of the private suites spread like wildfire throughout the army; the official story being little more than exhaustion from fending off Tadakatsu Honda, with rumors floating about of everything ranging from poisoning to a nervous breakdown psychics were notorious for. The best course the Violighter decided, was to ignore the diversion altogether.

"What are your orders, Sir?"

There was another period of prolonged silence - that which she despised even more than Muneshige's backtalk - that finally ended with an audible creak as Violight's septuagenarian Warlord shifted his weight.

"That you take the lead."

Those words struck Ginchiyo harder than any blow could.

"Sir-"

"I'm not going to be able to fight forever, Ginchiyo," he returned with all the detachment of a professional soldier. Her lips remained frozen in silent objection, while Violight's warlord reached down to run his hand through his Luxray's mane. In the back of her head, Ginchiyo wondered when the Electric Type - the sire of her own partner - had started to grey. "I'm grateful enough that Zekrom has blessed me with the strength to see Dragnor's spires."

Ginchiyo's voice still managed to elude her - it was Dosetsu's turn to feel guilty over having the urge to chuckle at seeing her dumbstruck. Her slowly rose from his stone perch, standing only a few inches above her.

"Why don't you join me for a drink tonight? Tell me how you plan on whipping those ice-lickers?" he said, allowing a more good natured smile to break his stony features. Ginchiyo allowed a quiet one of her own, nearly hidden with a short bow.

"I'd be happy to, father."

* * *

Kenshin groaned as his senses slowly returned to him, and was immediately rewarded with the ache in the back of his throat roaring to life again. He blinked, a haze worse than any hangover he had suffered prior trying to smother out his vision and lull him back to the restless sleep he had just escaped from - it was only the prick on his link with Gallade that gave him enough presence-of-mind to dredge himself out of the morass and sit upright. The Illusite blinked, the haze being replaced with the sight of a mass of red lurking in the corner of his visage.

"Hey you. You're finally awake," Shingen's voice immediately sparked a mental debate as to whether or not sleep would be preferable to the conversation that was presenting itself to him. And while Shingen might have allowed him a say in the matter, Aya would not.

"Are you still able to speak, brother?" Kenshin couldn't see her - although Gallade, with all of Aya's sentiment, was able to reveal to him where she was - but the chime of his sister's voice gave Kenshin a measure of sense of comfort that normally only the quiet of Illusio would provide. That was quickly dashed when she stepped over to his side and he saw the look on his face.

"Dearest sister," he said, the croaking making the corners of Aya's lips waver slightly, even if her eyes remained as sharp as ever. "I am glad to see you again."

"And I am glad to see you at all," her tone was as biting as her glare, and Kenshin found himself flinching underneath it. She didn't need to openly chastise him for the duress he had placed himself under - her gaze was more than enough to accomplish that. He felt the need to exhale, and then turned to Shingen, still seated against the wall to his right.

"You could have informed me," Shingen said, catching onto his rival's unspoken plea. Aya's gaze shifted from her brother to the Terreran.

"We didn't want any chance of word getting out," the corners of Shingen's stretched outwards at the woman's explanation, but he proffered no reply.

"Gallade said the tumor was discovered three months ago," the man in red said. Kenshin tried to shift his body weight to face Shingen fully, only to end up swaying towards the ground. Aya caught him while Shingen was in the middle of moving to do so. Kenshin gulped - barely restraining a twinge as he felt the burn in his throat - and rested a hand on his sister's as he steadied himself.

"Yes. I... was not given a generous timetable," Illusio's Warlord moved to stand upright. "However-" he nearly fell backwards into Aya's knees, until Shingen managed to grab a hold of his outstretched hand. The look Aya gave the Illusite was enough to convince him to not try to move again. "I refuse to allow death to claim me before this war is over."

Shingen and Aya traded looks for a brief moment, before Kenshin's sister gave a silent nod and took a step backwards.

"Well," the Terreran began. "You're not going to do any good right now - the boy set out for Nixtorm first thing this morning."

"Morning?" Kenshin replied with a hasty blink.

"About five, six hours ago," Shingen said, finding a sliver of schadenfreude at the surprise Kenshin was struggling to suppress. "The lass and her tacticians arrived before daybreak and the army set out at dawn."

Illusio's warlord grumbled something indiscernible and concluded with a resigned nod. Shingen took a sip from a nearby cup of water before offering the rest to the Illusite. He took the ceramic, gave it a once over, and then downed the rest in a single gulp. Shingen allowed for a moribund smile.

"Why don't you take the opportunity to rest?" Kenshin arced an eyebrow, and Shingen had a suspicion that had anyone else - Aya included, as she wouldn't have asked - said that, they would have been on the receiving end of something far sharper. "We will need the God of War at Dragnor."

Kenshin stared back at him for a long minute before giving a weak nod in agreement and allowing himself to fall back on the cot. Aya, having helped him become situated again, seemed torn between saying something and allowing her younger brother to sleep. The subtle, rhythmic rise and fall of Kenshin's chest decided for him. She gave a grateful nod to Shingen and returned to her own meditations, leaving the Terreran to silently empathize with Kenshin about having been left behind.

* * *

Nixtorm's wintery winds beat down upon the Violighters et al, howling at the invading army to turn back in the face of the elements. Had the snowfall been any worse, Kazumi may have actually considered it. But Nixtorm's first line of defense paled in comparison to her brother's reception when she arrived that morning. He had, as she fully expected, been elusive; it was Oichi and Motonari who greeted her and her tacticians at the gates, and Ginchiyo who informed them of the battle plan for Nixtorm. It took Espeon to find him through the psychic void his Umbreon created, and when she had tracked him down it became quickly apparent to her that absence was not the sole doing of his partner.

Kazumi had intended to take the initiative in the conversation - be it with an apology or news of her de-facto engagement, she had forgotten - but his lips parted first. For a brief moment, it had seemed like he would actually say something. Instead his walls slipped and the sheer amount of conflict she felt pouring off of him through Espeon left her feeling nauseous. And by the time she had blinked away the headache that had sent her physically reeling, Tadashi had vanished altogether, such that not even her partner seemed to be able to identify his absence. When they gathered to march he couldn't meet her eyes, and his reluctance translated into a pallor that seemed to have enraptured their entire group in silence.

"It won't be much further," the sound of Motonari's voice - the Greenleafer having volunteered to serve as guide through the frozen coastline - straining against the wind broke Kazumi out of her trance and brought her back to the present, if not any feeling in her extremities. Pulling the snow-stained scarf tighter around her neck, she took a quick glance around; the only person around her who seemed to handle the cold well was Oichi. And, distantly, she could make out her brother's frame at the front - trailing Motonari like a shadow - resolute against the elements that threatened to reduce her to a shivering mess. She heard Hanbei whisper - chatter - something to Kanbei, and seconds later Lampent flew from between the tacticians to her side. The warmth was meager at best, but it made the Auroran less inclined to feel like a popsicle, even underneath the extra layers that she had donned for the occasion. It was ultimately unnecessary, as only a few minutes passed before Motonari's prediction came true and the arches of Nixtorm's castle came into sight.

It was a beautiful sight; set atop a mountain of snow and ice, gold lining intertwined against black tiling, the walls - in what had to be partly made of nevermeltice - glistened against the slim early-morning sunlight. The brisk snowfall only added to the beauty of the sight; enough that for a brief moment it distracted Kazumi from the numbness in her extremities. She returned to reality when everyone around her ground to a halt.

"No sentries, no alarms..." she heard Ginchiyo, standing only a few feet in front of her, mutter in something between apprehension and disappointment.

"No reinforcements, either," Muneshige opined. Kazumi could practically feel the two Violighters independently come to the same conclusion.

"And likely no will," Motonari finished through a shiver, taking a staggered step forwards. "I doubt it was little coincidence that Nixtorm failed to show in Valora at its most critical hour - let us see if we can't negotiate."

Tadashi remained quiet - which was as good as acquiescence - while the Violighters just exchanged cautious glances before giving a silent, synchronous nod to Motonari. Oichi's face seemed to regain some of its color at the thought. Motonari's eyes fell on her.

"If we can get it, Nixtorm's help may prove decisive at Dragnor."

A strained smile crossed Motonari's features for a moment before another strong gust of wind scattered it into the flurry of snowflakes. The Greenleafer nodded back at the crystalline castle in the distance.

"Regardless, the less we stay out here, the better," the sage observation was met with a chorus of murmured, chattering agreements, and no time was wasted in waddling across the last of the tundra between themselves and one of the few islands of civilization in the northernmost of Ransei's kingdoms. It wasn't until they arrived at the outer gates that the castle showed any signs of activity.

"Sir Toshimitsu?" Motonari asked, cautiously, of the single sentry that appeared over the wooden carapace.

"Lord Motonari," Gracia's tutor replied, even more guarded than the Greenleafer. "I would ask you to turn back; Nixtorm has no quarrel with your lord."

"I'm afraid we cannot turn back," Motonari returned, raising his voice over the wind. "But in light of that I would ask to meet with Lord Mitsuhide."

"Lord Mitsuhide has given orders that he is not to be disturbed," Nixtorm's castellan replied, too quickly for Motonari's tastes. The Greenleafer only gave a weary nod.

"Then I would ask that you open the gates in his stead and spare us all the trouble," the silence that followed Motonari's ultimatum was far more oppressive than the weather. Were it possible, Kazumi swore she had heard the man above swallow.

"Only on the condition that my lord's rule is preserved."

Kazumi took that as her cue to step forward, snow audibly crunching underneath as she made her way to Motonari - to her still-silent twin's - side.

"As lady of Aurora, you have my word that Lord Mitsuhide's rule will be respected and treated as equanimous to ours," she said, bearing herself as regally as she could underneath the chills wracking her frame. There was another prolonged moment of silence following her declaration - during which Kazumi had plenty of time to worry whether or not she had made a blunder in her speech and for a reassuring smile from Motonari to put that to rest - before Toshimitsu waved down into the courtyard and the iron gates grinded inwards. Kazumi took a half-step forwards before Motonari quietly waved her down and took the initiative, followed by a grumbling Ginchiyo and an amused-looking Muneshige.

Kazumi entered Nixtorm's spacious courtyard - on Tadashi's heels, his torn cape doing a better job of trailing after his steps - just in time to find most of Nixtorm's army stuck in a state between loitering and looking ready to pounce. The Violighters marching in, she quietly noted, were little better. Even Motonari, talking in his usual dulcet tones to Toshimitsu, kept Serperior wrapped around him rather than trailing behind.

"This doesn't feel right..." Hanbei, dutifully at her side, muttered. The Auroran gave a wordless nod in agreement, taking another glance around the courtyard. A warlord who had not only abandoned his allies at the eleventh hour but his own kingdom at the gates - the entire situation repulsed the Auroran.

"Then we are in agreement?" Motonari said, voice raised just barely enough that it could be heard by all without sounding overbearing.

"STOP!" Motonari knew better than to turn towards the sound; the same could not be said of those around him, who were nearly blinded by the flash of telekinetic energy that erupted only a few feet away. Gracia, face as red as her hair, stormed into the center of the warriors - much to both Toshimitsu and Motonari's consternations.

"Lady Gracia-" Toshimitsu barely even got that out before Gracia stomped her heel into the snow-stained stone below.

"I-" the girl suppressed a sniffle, similar in how the Gothitelle looming behind her threatened to suppress any who dared move against her. "I refuse to just give up the castle! Papa didn't fight just so-"

"Lady Gracia, please return to your quarters," her tutor replied in a near-panic. "Lord Mitsuhide charged us with protecting your person at-"

"That doesn't MATTER!" the Nixtormite choked out, caught between a sniffle and a hiccup as her face somehow grew brighter. "Papa does nothing but talk about defending Nixtorm! And you're just giving up!?"

It was at that point that Motonari decided to intervene; kneeling down, he finally grabbed the princess' attentions by placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Gracia flinched, turning to face the Greenleafer but finding herself unable to keep eye contact. He said nothing, giving her time to slow her breathing.

"Mr. Mori..." Gracia let out a heavy breath, shoulders trembling as she forced a gulp before straightening her back. When she finally faced the mossy man, it was with all the reservedness of her father. "You said that papa would need my help to keep everyone safe."

Motonari allowed for a breathless chuckle, face falling into a mirthless smile.

"I did say that, yes," his eyes turned to Toshimitsu for a brief moment, seeing the Nixtormite was almost as much as a loss for words as he had first been. "But sometimes keeping people safe means not fighting."

Gracia's frown refused to budge, but it took on a dignified air.

"All my life I've been told to stay back," Gracia balled her hands back up. "For once, please let me help - let me prove myself."

As if to decide for her, the Gothitelle looming protectively behind the Nixtormite glided around to her side - shooting a harrowed Tadashi a wary look in the process. Motonari just gave an oblique nod, slowly rising to face the gathered warriors.

"Very well then," Toshimitsu made to object, and then thought better of it as Motonari remained at the Nixtormite's side. "This, Gracia, will be an excellent opportunity for learning - I am at your command."

Gracia looked up at him, wide-eyed, with most of those present mimicking her in some form or another. But Motonari's face remained reticent, even as he met Tadashi's gaze.

"Lord Tadashi, I would ask that you would be one of our opponents for this," the Auroran stood in silence, eyes darting between Motonari and Gracia before giving a silent bow. Toshimitsu motioned for a few nearby Nixtormites to step back as the Auroran moved opposite from the duo, his Umbreon stepping out from the shadow of his torn cape.

"And Lady Ginchiyo," Motonari's smile took on a more genuine tone as he faced the Violighter, who was doing an admirable job of hiding her scowl. "I'm afraid I had no intention of stealing your thunder. If you'd be so kind."

Muneshige took up the burden of a listless chuckle in Ginchiyo's stead, the Violighter, simply rolling her shoulder as she and Luxio marched over to Tadashi's side.

"Well then, my lady," Motonari said with a small flourish, turning back to Gracia. "What are your orders?"

"I-" the enthusiasm in her voice quickly vanished with an accompanying blink. She glanced at the Gothitelle towering above her; her first consistently present friend, their previous victories and tactics dancing around in the back of her mind. Her eyes drifted over to her opposition; a Dark Type, commanded by a man whose gaze struck her with the same sense of dread she could hear in her father's voice when he referred to Nobunaga. And finally, her gaze turned back up at Motonari and his Serperior - first, to try to think of what moves he would have at his disposal, and then what he would have done, and finally to ruminate on the constraint he had placed on himself for her sake. The last point refused to leave her mind.

"I..." the princess found herself repeating listlessly. "I understand, Mr. Mori. Gothitelle, stand down."

The Psychic Type just slid backwards, watching the Auroran and Violighter warily as she reassumed her position behind Gracia. Tadashi and Ginchiyo, for their parts, seemed caught between irritation and disconcertion while Motonari simply felt his shoulders relax as he returned to kneeling at Gracia's side.

"We must not allow our empathetic desires to become apathetic actions, Gracia," he said, softly, and for the shadow of a moment Tadashi swore the Greenleafer had looked at him. She only nodded wordlessly, not finding it in herself to make eye contact again. "Now, would you be so kind as to escort me to your father?"

"Papa isn't feeling well..." the Nixtormite muttered, finding the frosty ground to be more appealing than having her peripheral vision flooded by the surrounding warriors.

"Then perhaps we could help him together?" she nodded after a minute.

"Lord Motonari, Lord Mitsuhide said-" Toshimitsu stepped forward again, only for Gothitelle to swing around and interpose herself between Mitsuhide's lieutenant and Gracia at the latter's behest.

"Sir Saito," the redhead forced herself to lift her gaze, tone hardening. "If papa wishes to view me as a disturbance, then I will simply accompany Mr. Mori to Dragnor, in which you and the rest of the army will have to tag along."

Motonari forced the corners of his lips down while Toshimitsu bowed in acquiescence to his charge. Gracia slipped a hand around Motonari's forearm before giving a silent order to teleport them back into Nixtorm's castle. Gracia barely avoided an all-out blitz through the halls after their surroundings had reoriented, with Motonari managing a sluggish jog to keep up.

"Gracia, wait," the Greenleafer said when she reached a pair of heavy-looking, gilded doors. She turned to face him, dainty hand already pressed against the golden leaf. "Allow me to go in first."

She blinked - showing no signs as to whether or not she understood his reasoning - and then stepped back to allow Motonari to take her place. He placed a gloved hand on the door, glanced down to make sure he was blocking Gracia's field of vision, and then pushed the door open.

A suicide, in his mind, might have been preferable to what he found.

Mitsuhide sat in the corner of the room, slumped backwards in a wicker chair that in days gone by he might have read bedtime stories from. The pristineness of his quarters almost seemed to decry their occupant, who would have easily passed for a corpse - head hung, allowing a mop of loose hair to obscure his features, complete with his hands impotently dangling off the armrests - were it not for the indiscernible muttering that the Greenleafer heard arising from him.

"Lord Mitsuhide." Motonari received no answer, with Mitsuhide's mumbling continuing unabated. The Greenleafer felt Gracia tug on his cloak; he turned back, managed the best equivalent he could of a reassuring smile, and motioned for her to wait. Gracia frowned but gave a half-nod.

"Lord Mitsuhide, can you hear me?" the Greenleafer's words seemed to echo off the walls and coalesce with the soft thud of his steps. This time the mumbling stopped and Mitsuhide, slowly, lifted his head. Motonari felt a prick of revulsion at the sight that greeted him; eyes bloodshot and gaze glassy, the torpor in Mitsuhide's eyes only added to the illusion of his death.

"You..." the Nixtormite's voice was a rumble without any thunder, reminding Motonari of Harukata's gloating in his dying breaths. "You knew..." life seemed to flash back into Mitsuhide's mien, which only gave his otherwise flat features a twisted, base air as he lumbered out of his seat. "YOU KNEW!"

The roar took Motonari by surprise, leaving him completely unprepared for the Nixtormite when he lurched. Motonari barely had time to bring his arms up before Mitsuhide's hands clamped down around his neck, any further accusations that the Nixtormite might sent his way dissolving into a bestial growl. Before the Greenleafer even had a chance to let out an objection - a thin one, as Mitsuhide's fingers dug into his neck - Gracia appeared in the doorway.

"PAPA!" her shriek was strong enough to echo throughout the castle and loosen Mitsuhide's grip. His gaze ran past his would-be quarry and landed upon his progeny; Motonari watched as the foggy gloss in Mitsuhide's eyes subsided in the face of an insurmountable panic. The Nixtormite's grip loosened and he stumbled backwards, and would have fallen had Motonari not caught him by his wrist. Mitsuhide let out a half-strangled, breathless groan, face flushing back to life with a jaundiced color as he tried to form words. It was clear to the Greenleafer, as he let his hand slowly fall back to his side, that the man before him no longer cared about what he had been reduced to - but was not so far gone that he no longer cared if others saw it.

"It is always more terrible to admit it," the Greenleafer whispered. Mitsuhide's only response was to allow the corner of his eye, still bloodshot, to twitch. The Nixtormite tore himself away from his daughter, spun around - nearly fell in the process - and staggered across the room. Motonari recognized the look on Gracia's face and put a hand on her shoulder before she could charge past him. She pouted but didn't struggle, joining the Greenleafer in watching as Mitsuhide trudged past his chair and over to the sole window in the room, dragging the blinders onto the floor with a series of cracks, any of which could have passed for his fist hitting the wall. Instead Mitsuhide found himself flinching as his vision was flooded with soft sunlight.

"You knew, didn't you?" the Nixtormite finally asked through a heavy huff.

"I... discerned Nobunaga's intents, yes," Motonari replied, voice as still as Mitsuhide had been not more than a minute ago. The Nixtormite's shoulders tensed as he tightened his grip on the windowsill, but made no further moves. "But if you believe I am so omniscient as to know his particulars, then you would be mistaken."

"Don't try to absolve your guilt with half-truths," Mitsuhide growled. Motonari cocked an eyebrow while Gracia just looked between the two of them in confusion - the thought of asking Gothitelle to peer into one of their minds came and went.

"Had I told you, would you have believed?" Motonari's question went unanswered. Mitsuhide allowed himself to stew in the quiet for a few before speaking again.

"Regardless," he would have flinched at how hoarse he sounded had he still had the vigor for it. "Then you of all people know how pointless this entire endeavor is."

"Pointless?" Motonari echoed, lightly, letting the word sit on his tongue. He fought a loosing battle to keep his lips straight. "Lord Mitsuhide, this endeavor is the one that shall bring Ransei under a single banner."

"Through a _lie_ ," the Nixtormite hissed.

"History will not judge it as such," Motonari's reply was even, even as his words hacked away at what self-restraint Mitsuhide had mustered. "And history will memorialize your revolt as the actions of a righteous man, unable to overlook the wanton destruction his master unleashed, and thus provided the catalyst for Ransei's salvation."

"I don't care about history," Mitsuhide seethed in turn. "I care about HONOR! _History_ \- or whatever narrative you wish to weave - does nothing to ease my conscience."

"No, but it did ease the war when it came to your doorstep."

There was another moment of silence - one in which Gracia took the opportunity to bury herself deeper into Motonari's coat - where Motonari could vaguely hear the sound of Mitsuhide's molars grinding.

"You're a monster."

"I have many crimes to answer for, Lord Mitsuhide," Motonari replied, quietly, but without breaking away from the scorn in Mitsuhide's gaze. "But someone has to sully their hands, and I would prefer it to be myself rather than the young master - or you. You are a good man, Mitsuhide, and you have done enough."

"Enough?" the Nixtormite exhaled, shoulders shaking as he bored imaginary holes into the Greenleafer. "I have sacrificed _everything_ and it was not enough." Mitsuhide stomped back to his former prisoner, stopping just short of grabbing him by his coat. "Nothing will be enough! I impaled him and he just shrugged it off! And now you - AND HIM - tell me it was all for NOTHING! That I've done enough, that I can just be put aside like some chess piece!?"

"Lord Mitsuhide..." both Mitsuhide and Motonari found themselves caught unaware by the feminine voice. The Greenleafer turned - not enough to deprive Gracia of the safety of his coat - and found Oichi standing in the doorway, looking as pale as when Shingen had nearly revealed her heritage. Mitsuhide returned the gaze in kind, and it only deepened when Oichi was joined by the twin warlords of Aurora, with an even more stupefied Toshimitsu leading the rear. "You-"

She was cut off by Mitsuhide nearly collapsing in her direction, managing to catch himself on the doorframe as he peered down at the Dragnovian. The look in the Nixtormite's eyes was enough to make Tadashi's hackles rise, and only Oichi taking a half-step in his direction kept the Auroran from moving between the two.

"Lady Oichi..." the Nixtormite said it not as a name or greeting, but with such desperation that it could only have been an ideal to him. He nearly slipped off his precarious perch in the doorway, and clung even tighter to the wood to stay upright. "Forgive me for not believing you when you first came to me. I tried, _I tried_ , but nothing was enough."

Oichi was left speechless, mouth agape as she tried to come up with a response to Mitsuhide's increasingly frenetic tone. She finally managed a blink, silently hoping it would replace the half-crazed man before her with the memory of the gelid, judicious warlord of her memories. All it succeeded in doing was making the distance in the Nixtormite' gaze greater. Tadashi finally interposed himself between Oichi and the fallen warlord; Mitsuhide's attentions shifted accordingly, and his eyes somehow widened when they landed upon the Auroran.

"You..." he gasped out, which made Tadashi instinctively draw inwards. What little light left in Mitsuhide's eyes vanished as he scanned the invader's features. "You're the final sacrifice..." a slow, plodding rasp escaped the Nixtormite's throat, and after it repeated a few times Tadashi realized that it was his attempt at a laugh.

"Sleep, papa," it was Gracia who finally acted after a handful of painfully prolonged seconds, her voice barely steady even as the tears began streaking down her face. Mitsuhide had no time to object or even turn around; the Gothitelle looming only a few feet away waltzed into his shattered mind with the alluring promise of reprieve. Motonari managed to catch the warlord before his head hit the floorboards, his face as still as when they first entered the room. Gracia - and Tadashi - watched listlessly as the Greenleafer heaved her father up and half-carried, half-dragged the unconscious man back to his chair, with his lieutenant freeing himself from his shock to help. Tadashi remained watching even as Gracia turned, quickly lowering her arm from her puffy eyes and putting on the best air of composure that she could.

"You are the leader of the Coalition?" Kazumi blinked a second after the redhead asked the question, realizing it was directed at her. It had never been something she had been outright asked - and she was certain that the answer would differ upon who was asked. But Gracia - Kazumi felt her throat tighten at the girl staring shakily at her - kept up a façade of confidence, and so the Auroran put those worries aside with a small nod. Tadashi was just as silent and even more withdrawn. Gracia bowed her head and then curtsied.

"Then, on behalf of p- my father," she swallowed the lump that had firmly wedged itself in her throat. "I hereby surrender Nixtorm."

Kazumi's eyes drifted past Gracia for a fleeting second.

"We graciously accept," Kazumi felt her lips tugging downwards, torn between wanting to avoid coming off as curt and feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the prospect of having to prolong the conversation. Gracia, whether or not she had any inkling as to Kazumi's conflict, ended it for them.

"Sir Toshimitsu," she turned around, facing her father's retainer, still standing at his side even as Motonari made his way back to her. "Please keep watch over papa."

The man stood still for a brief second, but gave a wordless bow. Oichi had followed the Nixtormite's gaze, finding the stomach to look at Mitsuhide's crumpled form for a final time. Tadashi found himself raising an eyebrow as she muttered the warlord's name in pity. Gracia's focus returned to the Aurorans, and she beckoned Gothitelle back to her side. Kazumi clenched her eyes shut the moment it became apparent that they were about to teleport, sparing herself from having to watch as their surroundings were warped beyond recognition and replaced with the courtyard once again.

Ginchiyo raised an eyebrow at how haggard both the twins looked, but opted to say nothing as Tadashi waved them over. Even as the Violighters silently began forming ranks, Motonari remained at Gracia's side, staring blankly into the dull, snowy sky.

"Mr. Mori," the Nixtormite finally said, softly, finally drawing Motonari out of his thoughts. "I..." she stopped, and he could vaguely make out the beginnings of a plead before she moved onto an entirely different conversation. "I don't think you're a monster."

Motonari resisted the urge to let out a wistful sigh and settled for a half-smile.

"I'm afraid you have more confidence in me than I do myself, Gracia," he said, kneeling down to face her.

"Papa made a mistake," she replied. "You may have, too. I don't think it makes you a monster."

Half of the Greenleafer wanted to correct her - that there had been no mistakes. The other half reminded himself that it was a stated opinion, not a question.

"Very well," he said, mustering a full, if not melancholy, smile after a moment's glance back at the gathering army. "After this war is over, I'd like it if you would visit Greenleaf. And I can show you the garden I've spent the past few decades working on."

"And the flowers?" Gracia replied, managing a smile of her own.

"And the flowers," the Greenleafer repeated, before standing upright. One of his knees groaned in protest. "Until then, I trust you'll do fine."

She gave a silent, halfhearted nod, and Motonari headed back to the waiting warriors. They vanished back into the snow within minutes.

* * *

The march back to Valora had been just as silent as the march from it. Motonari had immediately busied himself in talking shop with Shingen upon returning, Hanbei and Kanbei tagging along, while Ginchiyo had, irately, dragged Muneshige off to practice. Oichi had retreated into the solitude of her allotted room - whether for her own sake or to give Kazumi a chance to talk to Tadashi alone, Aurora's warlord didn't know. But she found herself pursuing her brother regardless.

He could have easily been elusive, had he wished, escaping into the guts of an unfamiliar castle and evading Espeon's detection in the throng of warriors by leaving Umbreon with someone else. But he did not - he waited in plain sight, peering over the edge of the uppermost balcony. Kazumi only realized what he was looking at when she finished the climb.

"We're a far way from Aurora, huh?" she said, walking over to his side. The mountains running across Avia blocked out any real sight Tadashi might have had of their kingdom, but he was still inclining in its direction like a compass would. Her brother gave no answer, nor even a sign he had heard her. Kazumi frowned and placed her elbows on the railing, hoping he was just thinking of a way to respond.

"Tadashi," she nearly growled after another minute of silence, turning to face him. "Talk to me." Kazumi resisted the urge to punctuate the sentence with 'dammit'.

There was another minute of silence, ending with Tadashi finally lifting his downwards gaze and letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry..." his twin felt a pang of guilt at hearing regret in his recalcitrant tone. Once again, the beginnings of a sentence formed and died in his throat, and he remained staring ahead, blankly. "I don't know what to say."

Somehow, that response did more to crush Kazumi than any angry rant or brusque dismissal. She gave a dispirited nod and pushed herself off the railing.

"Wait," Tadashi said as she turned, surprising both of them. "When this is over, then."

"Is that a promise?" Kazumi asked, arcing an eyebrow. Tadashi blinked, only just realizing what he had said in full.

"If," he clarified. "But yes."

Kazumi turned, took a step towards the door, and then found herself looking back at her twin.

"Brother," he still made no move to turn. "Whatever happens, I'll still love you."

"I know."

Kazumi gave a weak nod - not even knowing if he could see it - and then limped out of the room to go find her tacticians. Tadashi heaved out the sigh that had been threatening to crush his lungs and remained stewing in his thoughts, even after he had watched his sister leave for Spectra. It was not until the lamps in the throne room started to die out that he finally pried himself away from the railing, trawling down the darkened hallways until he finally found his goal. Cautiously, he rasped his knuckles against the door. It took a few anxious seconds before the panel finally slid open, revealing a drowsy-looking Oichi. It was obvious she had hastily draped herself in her kimono for the sake of more modesty, and for his part he tried to keep his eyes above her neckline.

"L- Tadashi?" whatever exhaustion she held vanished at the sight of the Auroran.

"May I come in?"

"Of course," the hesitation in her voice was negligible, but he still took notice as she stood aside. A lantern lying next to a discarded book still dimly flickered, casting shadows across the walls and alleviating his concerns he had disturbed her rest.

"Were you close to Lord Mitsuhide?" Tadashi asked as he glided past Oichi's sleeping partner, coming to a stop in the center of the room. Oichi frowned.

"Not terribly," she replied, closing the door. "But he was always the most principled of Nobunaga's generals..." Oichi let out a heavy sigh. "I could barely recognize him. For him to get to the point of treason and murder and then... _that_ , I cant fathom what he must have endured."

"No, you can," Tadashi uttered after a moment of stolid silence. He cast an envious look down at the blissfully unaware Jigglypuff before returning to the Dragnovian. "But I do. That you do not - did not - is one of your best qualities, Oichi."

"Tadashi-" she was cut off by the sight of him removing his helmet, the luster he had gone to great lengths to hide from even his own sister being displayed before her.

"I've had to do some thinking, Oichi," he said, plainly. "What Motonari has said, what I've seen today - it's one thing to suffer gradually, to become acclimated to the rot, but seeing the conclusion plainly is different altogether. And I fear Dragnor will be my conclusion." He took another step in her direction. "But I refuse to allow it to occur under the indignities I saw today."

The Dragnovian tried and failed to keep her mouth as Tadashi took a knee in front of her, head bowed.

"I was wrong, Oichi. And I fear I have wronged you the most," she was speechless - and had she found words, they would have been as shaky as his. "For the longest time, I sought to be my own man. I realize now that I have been chasing little more than a perversion - a delusion - of that ideal. And if the end of that pursuit is to harm you, that path is unconscionable to me." Tadashi raised his head to meet her gaze. "From this day forwards, I am yours Oichi. And this is my promise to you; I shall do everything within my power to see that your trust has not been misplaced."

Oichi felt light. She would have stammered had she been able to feel her tongue over the heat in her face. She did the first thing she thought would actually be fitting and held out her hand. Tadashi, over the pounding in his chest, took it in his and placed a small kiss on the back. Tadashi had barely brought himself to his full height before he was enraptured in a hug. It was Tadashi turn to blush as the pounding in his chest only accelerated. Returning her embrace, he could detect the faint scent of her perfume - cherry blossoms, which only served to remind him of Aurora.

"I love you, Oichi," he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he uttered that.

"I love you too," came the reply, a handful of simple words that eased the sting of his confession. Tadashi pulled back from the hug and captured Oichi's lips in a quick kiss. When he pulled away he wasn't sure which one of them was more red-faced. She just giggled.

"It's good to see you smile again," Tadashi blinked, and then surpassed her in terms of a blush. While the Auroran busied himself with trying and failing to regain his composure, Oichi strode over to the wall.

"And as you entrusted this to me..." when she turned back around she had his sword - still tied in its scabbard - spread across her hands.

"It would be good to have this at Dragnor," Tadashi said, managing to turn a nervous smile into a dry one as he returned the lacquer to his hip. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Oichi echoed, the single word having drained most of the cheer from her voice. He returned to her side, placing a hand on her cheek as he stole another kiss.

"And after that we have the rest of our future," he whispered, pulling back again - to him, she was simply too intoxicating.

"Together," she said, her hand intertwining with his.

"Together," he repeated, the hand resting on her cheek moving down to her hip. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, before taking a half-step to the side. Tadashi wasted no time in following, and soon their rhythm carried them across the room and into the night.

* * *

The Moon reigned supreme in Avia, enveloping the night sky with its luminescence, and denying Masamune the sleep he so desperately wanted. He rolled over in his pallet for the umpteenth time, facing away from the moonlight and still finding no reprieve from it.

But where the moonlight was soft, the lantern light that flooded his vision when the door to his room slid open forced him to throw a hand out and shield his eye.

"My lord," Kojuro's voice was just as crisp as the light that surrounded him. Masamune blinked a few times and finally managed to make out the silhouette of his retainer bowing at the threshold. Avia's warlord forced himself to sit upright as Kojuro looked up. "Nixtorm has fallen."

Masamune felt something stir inside him, an altogether different sense of macabre to the one he was so accustomed to. But with it came a familiar fire, one that forced him to stand.

"Ready Braviary. This is my fight to finish."


	54. Chapter 54

Hideyoshi, for once, had trouble putting his finger on the mood of a room.

There was the expected air of dread - be it for the impending battle, or their lord at the head of the table, Hideyoshi suspected it varied per person - as well as the lasting undercurrent of shock at Mitsuhide's betrayal. But more than that was the palpable anticipation; and it practically rolled off of Dragnor's Warlord. That puzzled the Ignite the most.

For all of his reputation towards mercilessness, Nobunaga seemed the closest to being pleased that Hideyoshi had seen of the man. His first instinct inclined him towards suspecting something that happened at Honnoji - Mitsuhide's fate was still up in the air, as Nobunaga had disinclined to tell his followers anything upon returning triumphantly, covered in mud and blood - but the more Hideyoshi had pondered their situation, the more he believed he understood the reason: albeit inadvertently, Mitsuhide's betrayal was a windfall for them. Whereas their prior plan would have delivered only the better half of the Coalition's army, now they were presented with an opportunity to neutralize the entirety of it on home ground.

And that left Hideyoshi with the final, unidentifiable element that troubled him so; a sneaking feeling of contrivance, that everything had happened too easily. Something in the picture before him - in the forms of the battle plans sprawled out across their table - mockingly eluded him, and that annoyed him more than any setback could. Setbacks, given proper time and planning, could eventually be overcome - but he had no way of doing so if the whole truth was hidden from his eyes. And the only hint he had was Motonari's words.

Had Motonari been the cause of Mitsuhide's treachery, just as he talked Hanbei and Kanbei into leaving his service? Or had there been something more - and was it the piece that eluded him?

"And Lord Hideyoshi, Lady Nene, your troops will take up the Nobuhide Wing of the castle," Ieyasu's directions shook the Ignite out of his stupor. He gave a hasty nod and took another look at the map, remembering the section charged to him had been - allegedly - named so for its prior destruction in Nobunaga's usurpation of his father's throne. Hideyoshi somehow found it fitting he would be there.

"Are these plans satisfactory, Lord Nobunaga?" the man at the head of the table gave a firm nod.

"You've done well, Ieyasu," the Dragnovian's voice effortlessly echoed throughout the room. Hideyoshi noticed some of the prior gloom in the Valoran's face evaporate at that. "Nobunaga sees the need to make only one revision."

"My lord?" Ieyasu arced his eyebrow for the entire council.

"Nobunaga alone shall be the vanguard," had he said that - had he the courage to say that - when he was still Warlord of Ignis, Hideyoshi knew he would have immediately been met with a series of rightful objections from his retainers. Instead Nobunaga received Ieyasu's immediate deferment in the form of a low bow.

"As you will, my Lord. Shall we begin preparations for the battle?"

A battle that would pit one third of Ransei against another, Hideyoshi mused. The Coalition had subsumed sixteen kingdoms but could only call upon the armies of seven - unless if Mitsuhide had fully pledged his support. They had the armies of five kingdoms and the strongest castle in Ransei - and the support of Zekrom. Would it be enough?

"Yes," Nobunaga answered - to Ieyasu, Hideyoshi realized with a blink - before turning to his page, ever faithfully at his side.

"Nobunaga has one final issue to attend to - the particulars are in your hands. Come, Ranmaru," the man in black swaggered out of the room, leaving Ieyasu to reiterate the prior orders. Hideyoshi found himself returning to his own thoughts, and his own anticipation for the upcoming battle - and whether or not he would find the truth through it.

* * *

The spires of Dragnor's castle came into view well before the rest of the rest of the kingdom's features, casting shadows across even the faces of the mountains it was surrounded by. The black towers shot into the sky, piercing the heavens and taunting those below - or inspiring them to do the same. The plateau the army had stopped on gave them a perfect view of those towers, and the town they distantly guarded below. Motonari, as still and statuesque as one of those pillars, seemed to be taken by neither. It had immediately drawn Kazumi's attention; leaving Hanbei and Kanbei to hash out the final details with Tadashi, Shingen and a pale-looking Kenshin.

"Lord Motonari?" she said, walking to the Greenleafer's side. Arms folded neatly behind his back, he showed no signs of having even noticed her approach; that task falling to the Serperior coiled around his feet, angling its head to note the Auroran. "Are you..."

Kazumi allowed herself to trail off as she looked up to his features. At first glance she assumed it to be a trick of the light - but then the tear continued to roll down Motonari's stony features as he turned, blinking back into the present.

"Forgive me," his voice sounded hollow, not dissimilar to her brother's, with all of the usual conviviality having withered away. Briefly, it sounded like he was almost irritated.

"Are you all right?" she finally managed. He frowned - bitterly? - and then produced a handkerchief from his coat. He turned away for a second, and when his attentions returned to her there was no sign the tear had ever crossed his face.

"It's just difficult for me to... believe this day is here at last," Kazumi frowned at Motonari's evasiveness. It was a technically true statement that didn't actually answer her question. Her brother had used the same tactic when she confronted him at Cragspur - had he learned it from the Greenleafer? "For the longest time I believed I wouldn't live to see this," the Greenleafer managed a wry, incongruous smile. "Perhaps I didn't want to."

"I'm still coming to terms with everything myself," Kazumi began, finding her gaze drawn to the black castle in the distance. "It all feels like a dream, looking back on it. Me and my brother were left the lesser part of our Uncle's domain as inheritance and now we're on the verge of unifying Ransei."

"It is rather surreal, isn't it?" Motonari mused with a half-smile. "If I didn't know better, I would say Nobunaga orchestrated all of this."

"No, but it's a convenient explanation," the Auroran replied without a hint of humor. "Nobunaga's able to gather all of his enemies in a single place for one decisive battle, but it wasn't Nobunaga that conquered the western kingdoms or defeated Masamune. Our actions carried us here - and today we reckon with their consequences," Kazumi let out a weighty sigh, one that could have easily measured up to the worst of Motonari's. "Nobunaga didn't let brother become what he is. Will everything we've done be worth it in the end?"

She slipped for a split-second in letting her gaze wander, and Motonari didn't need to follow to know to whom.

"You do have a certain wisdom beyond your years, Lady Kazumi," the Greenleafer indulged in a more genuine smile. "Most only reexamine actions such as ours years after the fact - when the means are far easier to judge by their end. And in the spirit of that, might I offer my insight?" she raised an eyebrow and nodded a bit too quickly. Motonari kept up his smile. "I believe, above all else, your brother wants your trust."

Kazumi nodded wearily.

"I know, I just..." she trailed off with another sigh.

"Fear for him?" Motonari finished. The twin answered with another wordless nod, and he replied with a dry chuckle of his own. "Well, Lady Kazumi, I believe the young master fears for you too."

She tried not to scowl.

"I _know_ why he's doing this, but..." Kazumi choked down a gulp. "I watched Nobunaga order Zekrom - _Zekrom!_ \- to kill his sister and Tadashi nearly die for it. Now we've forced that madman into a corner."

"And do you want to be the one to defeat him for the sake of your brother, or for the sake of vengeance?" the girl felt her breath hitch at his question.

"I forgave Masamune," she answered, internally cringing at adopting the very tactic she despised.

"I doubt your brother has," Motonari replied evenly. "For all that has happened, you're still quite alike."

"I'm not forgiving _Nobunaga_ if that's what you're implying I need to do," she replied, stuck somewhere between deadpan and disbelief.

"Not at all," the Greenleafer returned with a disarming smile. "I don't think you've forgiven yourself for something that was out of your control."

Kazumi found herself unable to think of a proper response, and was saved with the distant blow of a conch. Motonari nodded, almost to himself, and silently turned back towards the camp.

"Lord Motonari, wait," he obliged, twisting back around to face her, arms still folded neatly behind his back. "Do you think the Legends will prove true? That the Legendary Pokémon will show itself to us?"

He blinked, face devoid of any sort of decisive emotion and somehow managed to give Kazumi the feeling he was looking straight through her.

"I don't think such matters should be taken so lightly, Lady Kazumi," the Greenleafer finally replied. "But we shall see soon enough."

* * *

Dragnor's city - Oichi had been surprised at how much it had grown since she left, and then wondered if the haze of childhood memories had prevented her from remembering how prosperous her native country actually was - came and went without any resistance beyond the occasional leer from behind a window. Part of the Dragnovian had been grateful that Nobunaga had not tried to make them fight through barricades and alleyways, but she knew it only meant that the castle would be better defended for it.

"Oichi," Tadashi's voice brought her back to reality - and to the looming edifice to her brother's might. To her childhood home. Why she was beginning to feel sentimental over that was beyond her. "Is there anything more about the castle that we should know?"

"Nothing that I haven't already said," she replied, wondering if Hanbei had suffered the same pit in is stomach when he returned to Spectra. "But the castle should be the least of our concerns. If Nobunaga tries to make a last stand-"

"There will be blood," Tadashi finished, with none of her dread. She just nodded numbly. "Then isolating him is our goal."

"I don't think that will be hard," there was not a hint of optimism in her voice. The Auroran just nodded as they crossed down the valley the citadel was in and its walls finally came into view. Time seemed to grind to a halt with the rest of the army as colors from half of Ransei's kingdoms gradually began filling the desolate plains. The defenders on the walls - few as they were, and all wearing the black of Dragnor - looked unperturbed and showed no signs of reaction. Tadashi took another glance around him; arranged as neatly as they could be stood the armies of Greenleaf, Fontaine, Violight, Pugilis, Terrera, Illusio and Cragspur. Briefly, he reflected - savored? - on the irony that Aurora had no real army to speak of and was still leading their coalition, but pushed aside the thought. Time seemed to freeze for him as his hand stretched upwards, where simply lowering it would send their battle plans into motion.

Instead, the gates to Dragnor's castle began to grind outwards. Tadashi blinked and allowed his arms to drop back to his side, watching as the massive doors creaked open. Part of the Auroran thought Oichi might have been embellishing when she described Dragnor's first line of defenses, but hearing the stone groan as it moved left Tadashi with the impression she had been conservative in her descriptions.

While he had been prepared for anything to charge out of the gates, in his heart of hearts Tadashi knew that there could only be one force to greet them. Nobunaga did not disappoint, but surprise: a massive, earthshaking cheer rose up from the walls and courtyard of Dragnor's castle as the conqueror marched out not with Zekrom in tow, but his Hydreigon. The Auroran - and virtually everyone else present in the gathered armies - found themselves captivated as Dragnor's Warlord crossed the field, stopping only about halfway between the armies of one half of Ransei and the fortifications protecting the others. Nobunaga outstretched his hand, seemingly resting it straight at Tadashi, leaving the Auroran with a strong sense of deja vu. He was about to order another attack when Oichi, having been left with a similar feeling, grabbed his arm.

"We need to spread out, now," the imperative in her tone momentarily made him reconsider whether or not she should be leading the charge against Dragnor. He had no time to reply - Hydreigon reared its head back as if it had been struck, head trembling in a furor that erupted seconds later.

"SPREAD OUT!" it was not even a command; Oichi's plea could barely be heard as the Draco Meteor screeched through the sky, with the surrounding armies barely heeding her warning before it reached the zenith of its arc and exploded into dozens of smaller projectiles. Tadashi did not move away; he stood in front of Oichi, just as she saw one of the bursts rocketing towards them. She wrapped her arms around his as a silent command to Umbreon sent a reassuring barrier of emerald up in front of them. Umbreon growled as the attack connected, the luminescent rings decorating its body flashing frenetically as the fallout sent dust flying around them. Oichi blinked back tears as the debris stung her eyes, taking in her surroundings as the Protect faded away and the dust began to settle. Where once stood an army now was little more than dozens of scattered groups of warriors and a morass of craters. Tadashi only growled as another wave of roars erupted from Dragnor's walls. He was about to call out for order amongst the tattered ranks when Nobunaga - not without what he believed was a satisfied smirk - did a heel-turn and began to march back towards his castle. The Auroran felt his blood begin to boil as history repeated once more - but this time, he was in a position to change it. He took a step forward, only to feel Oichi tug on his arm. He looked back and was greeted with a frown. No moment of debate ensued; he relaxed with a heavy breath and instead turned to begin issuing orders. He was halfway through a call for calm when a distant shout caught his attention - quiet enough to be singular, and far away enough he couldn't actually make it out. His gaze returned to the front, only to find Nobunaga staring back in their direction.

Or, more precisely, above it.

Tadashi decided to follow Nobunaga's gaze and was rewarded with a frustratingly familiar voice.

"NOBUNAGA YOU BASTARD!" Masamune's voice echoed across the skies as Braviary sailed overhead. Some gaped at the Avian while Tadashi resisted the urge to scowl at his intrusion - and was almost torn as he watched Avia's warlord direct his mount into an upwards spiral before turning it into a dive at Nobunaga. The Dragnovian didn't budge; Hydreigon took it upon itself to stagger in front of its partner to shield it from the impending Superpower. The Dragon had been given no time to form a counter-shield; it was a testament to its strength that, even suffering under the strain of performing a Draco Meteor that all the head-on collision from Braviary managed to accomplish was to send it staggering back with an enraged snarl. The Brutal Pokémon prepared to retaliate with a Dragon Pulse when Nobunaga held up a hand. It begrudgingly obliged, watching as Masamune pulled his partner into an upwards spiral, circling back around to land opposite from Nobunaga.

"You should have killed me at Cragspur," the Avian growled as he climbed off his partner. He landed on solid feet, and ignored the objection from his wrist as he drew his saber.

"There would be no point to mutilating a corpse," the Dragnovian replied coolly, gauntlet hovering above the hilt of his sword. Hydreigon wheezed and then floated around back to the front. Masamune, scowl unmoving, lowered the tip of his steel at the Dragnovian.

"Brave Bird!" he yelled, using Braviary's resulting charge to move forward himself. Hydreigon unleashed a Dragon Pulse, which Braviary effortlessly dodged with a roll, and left Nobunaga's partner with no time to regroup. Braviary sailed skywards after Hydreigon crashed into the black plains, whirling back about to charge at Nobunaga. Dragnor's Warlord held firm in the face of the approaching Flying Type, sliding to the side only as it was actually in danger of colliding with him. The Flying Type shrieked out in pain as Nobunaga drew his sword, steel slicing into the edge of its wingspan as it sailed by. Nobunaga bought himself no reprieve as Braviary skimmed and then crashed into the dirt: Masamune let out an aggrieved shout of his own as he brought his blade down on the Dragnovian. Nobunaga blocked with his offhand, steel singing as it bounced off plate, and then threw out his own sword. Masamune, knowing full well that getting into a deadlock with his wrists still healing was a gamble, met the slash with all his strength. Nobunaga humored the Avian with a half-smile and then looked beyond him; whether or not Avia's Warlord was aware of it, the time he had bought the coalition was all they needed to reform ranks into something resembling cohesion.

"Watching your pretentions has been amusing, but such times are over," that was all Nobunaga was willing to humor Masamune in; the Dragnovian twisted his grip, sending Masamune's arms sideways, and then slammed the pommel of his sword into the Avian. By the time Masamune had regained his footing and refocused his vision, Nobunaga - one of Hydreigon's head-arms slung over his shoulder - was already beyond his effective reach. The thought of ordering Braviary - having pushed itself upright, despite its bleeding wing - after the Dragnovian entered his mind, but he decided against it when he heard the steps of the approaching warriors. Braviary staggered back to the Avian's side as he spun, marching back through the throng of charging warriors towards what he assumed to be the position where the coalition's leadership had taken root.

"Don't let them close up those gates!" Shingen's shout rang out from the distance, somehow over the hooves of Rapidash and Ponyta, as Terrerans charged towards Dragnor's walls. They would have been prime targets for the defenders had they not been preoccupied with the teamwork of Cragspur's and Illusio's armies: the former unearthing boulder after boulder and the latter telekinetically hurling them at the fortifications. It was an impressive display of teamwork, and in Masamune's mind only posthumously justified his own overarching strategy of defeat in detail. He forced those thoughts away from the forefront when he finally found his quarry, putting on an air of swagger as he approached the Aurorans. Tadashi eyed him darkly - much to Masamune's satisfaction - but he otherwise ignored the Auroran's attempt to bore holes into his skull and focused solely on the older of the twins. She made no attempt - or, rather, no better attempt - to hide her internal conflict upon seeing him, and he only made the situation even more convoluted for Kazumi by taking a knee in front of her.

"Milady," he drawled, going so far as to take her hand and press his lips to the back of her armguard. He didn't let it last for more than a second; but that was all it took for Kazumi's face to flare up and Tadashi's glower to grow darker. Masamune hid a smirk by keeping his head low, but even in doing so he could easily envision Kazumi's reddened face - she knew he was being utterly irreverent and was at a loss as to how to respond. He finally straightened upright after another prolonged second of silence, confirming his suspicion - her face was indeed red; fury, embarrassment and perhaps something else altogether mixing into a color that could easily be mistaken for a severe sunburn, with her blush-painted lips twisted into a grimace.

"Lady Kazumi?" Hanbei's sudden appearance - shadowed and dwarfed by his counterpart in black - saved the Auroran from having to be diplomatic, but did nothing to alleviate her brother's glare. She spun - all too eagerly, even given the situation she had found herself in - and quickly saved face.

"Hanbei, perfect," that only made him raise an eyebrow. "Have Pugilis and Fontaine begun their march?"

Masamune struggled and failed to keep a smirk off of his face; between a need for decorum and having occupied Nobunaga, there was a degree of tolerance that his liege - the thought still made his skin crawl - was willing to extend to him. That he could flaunt it in front of her brother made it all the better.

"They're forming up to join right now," Kazumi's frown turned into a glower, and Masamune could see it was not out of disappointment at any perceived tardiness.

"I need you and Kanbei to take the reins then," if it was possible, Kanbei's face paled while Hanbei contented himself with arcing his eyebrow even higher.

"You won't be joining us, Lady Kazumi?" his tone gave Masamune the impression that her order was last minute, at best. Regardless of the suddenness of her decision, she gave a resolute nod that shut down any inkling Hanbei might have had of persuading her elsewise.

"Yes, I'll be accompanying brother," her tone similarly overruled any objections Tadashi might have mustered up, but couldn't suppress his moribund stare. Her gaze finally fell back on the Avian, still standing haughty. "Masamune, can I trust you to support my tacticians in this?"

_"And by support, you mean not take all the glory or put your beloved in unnecessary danger,"_ he thought - whether or not she could read it with her Espeon made no difference to the Warlord. He gave a short bow all the same, one not entirely insincere, and offered her a winning smile. It certainly affected her disposition more than the idea of having his mind read did to him. "Certainly. Hopefully they'll learn a thing or two in the process."

Hanbei openly scoffed while Kanbei just grew a morbid grin. Masamune seized the initiative before either could offer up a barb of their own.

"Let's get moving, the less time we leave to Nobunaga's footstools the better," Hanbei bit his tongue and gave a begrudging nod, Kanbei floating impassively behind him as they followed Avia's Warlord. Kazumi finally turned her attention back to Tadashi.

"I'll follow your lead, brother," he blinked - was it in restrained disbelief, Kazumi wondered - and then stiffly turned to Oichi.

"I'm afraid this is not my kingdom."

Oichi's eyes went wide, only for her to quickly push any signs of surprise off her face with a resigned nod.

"And Nobunaga will be waiting for us at the apex of it."

* * *

The great hall of Dragnor's castle felt claustrophobic to Ieyasu - the tension gave the air an oppressive twist that left even him feeling anxious. But he dared not show any signs of it, for the sake of the other Valorans gathered around him and scattered throughout the chamber. The flower of Valora's youth was gathered here for this battle. And, excepting the numerically inferior Dragnovians tasked with screening the courtyard and holding the walls, they had been given the task of serving as Dragnor's first line of defense.

Them, and the towering doors of the castle.

He had personally overseen their construction after witnessing how quickly Cragspur's gates shattered, having used Tadakatsu and Metagross for the stress test; Valora's warlord was fully confident in their ability to withstand a sustained barrage, if at least long enough that breaking through them would leave the coalition's best weakened. Even Nobunaga had been impressed with his handiwork - but for as strong as they were, the muffled din of the battle outside still managed to echo its way across the spacious walls and vaulted ceiling. The assault had been raging for close to half an hour by now, by Ieyasu's count, leaving himself and the rest of the Valorans inside to stew in their increasingly stuffy silence.

Valora's Warlord finally decided to break it as he turned to the warrior at his side - not Tadakatsu, who was leading the van, but his ever-faithful sentinel's heiress.

"Ina," she had been doing a good impersonation of her father, standing stalwart like one of the many statues that lined the hallways, and blinked in surprise when she heard him. It lasted only a moment, her gaze snapping up - or, rather, down - to him. Ieyasu resisted the urge to let out a grim chuckle. "Should the battle turn against us, or if you find yourself overwhelmed, do not hesitate to withdraw."

Her response was delayed, a long second of allowing what her lord had just told her to sink in before she managed a reply.

"Lord Ieyasu," her voice was admirably level. "I can't entertain the idea of retreat, not when everyone else will be fighting in the most important battle of our lives."

"I'm not asking you to retreat," Ieyasu replied with a paternalistic smile, knowing he was true only on the technicality that there would be no retreat from this battle. "But I would ask that you not put yourself in needless danger."

She looked unconvinced, but out of respect said nothing. Normally Valora's Warlord would have been content to let it rest at that - but circumstances compelled him to say more.

"Ina," the grave tone his voice took on had the desired effect. "You will be the future of Valora. Neither myself nor our kingdom can afford your loss."

Tadakatsu's daughter continued to look unconvinced, though Ieyasu suspected it had less to do with his own statement and more with her own assessment of her abilities. That his heir lacked signs of the initiative he had displayed across his tenure as Warlord of Valora was an open secret - that Ina, who he considered to be the closest thing to a daughter he had, displayed most of the virtues that Hidetada lacked was not, if only because her father drew the attention of any onlooker.

Ieyasu's line of thought was shattered as the battle outside finally resulted in an almighty crash against the doors. There was a second where they bulged against the force of the attack, and even looked to be on the verge of buckling, but they held firm with little more than a small mark where the epicenter of the attack had taken place. The Valoran released a breath he didn't realize he was holding in, and in the time between the crash's echo washing over the gathered warriors and his sigh of relied, the gravity of his words seemed to finally have grasped hold of Ina.

"Lord Hidetada is with Naomasa, correct?" she asked quietly. Ieyasu nodded wordlessly, offering up a reassuring smile instead. Ina turned in the direction of her future liege, protected by her present rival. "Then perhaps it would be best if I joined them."

Another crash against the doors preempted anything Ieyasu might have said and only expedited the girl's movements, her Prinplup waddling behind best it could. There was no break between the beating the door got this time; whereas the prior strike might have been a stray attack, the coalition had clearly forced their way to the castle gates and were trying their hardest to batter them down now. By the twelfth time the doors groaned from the assault, Ieyasu had gained enough control over his pulse that he could allow his thoughts to stray, if only a little - and they wandered deeper into the castle, where the warriors of Spectra, Viperia and Ignis laid in wait. Hideyoshi and Nene and their followers had willingly abandoned their kingdoms - for each other? - to the Aurorans, leaving their fates at the whims of their conquerors while they placed their lots in fully with Nobunaga. Ieyasu could admire the loyalty of the action, even if he found the spirit of it wanting - but then, he had been left with no alternative, unlike them.

No had been craftier, ensuring she had a say in the future of her kingdom regardless of the outcome by somehow forcing a former lieutenant to take up the mantle of Warlord. But were her actions only done out of prudence, or did they venture into the realm of vindictiveness? And if it was the latter, then who was she truly spiting?

Ieyasu's maudlin thoughts came to an end as the banging on the steel edifice did; by now the doors were riddled with bumps of varying sizes, and were beginning to crater at the center, but still managed to hold. The sound that followed was more distressing than any of the pounding had been: the soft click of one of the door's internal locking mechanisms. And then another. Ieyasu immediately realized what was happening and was torn between outrage and pride that his foes had to result to such an unsporting measure to make it past his design, and then quickly shoved any emotion aside.

"Men of Valora; make ready!" the steel in their chieftain's voice quelled any possible confusion as to what was happening. There was another click from the door, followed by the churning of the internal bars that secured it; it began to grind open not a second later.

"You know, you could have done that sooner," Shingen, standing on the right of Kenshin, grumbled. Illusio's warlord only heaved out a breath and Shingen immediately regretted the tort. Doing his best to push aside his guilt, he wasted no time in lowering his war fan into the hall.

"CHARGE!" his command coincided with the sound of the doors coming to a stop as they slammed into the walls, and was followed by the war cries of dozens of Warriors as they wasted no time in turning Dragnor's great hall into a melee. Tadakatsu immediately moved to intercept Shingen and Kenshin - bolstered by Ujiyasu - which, Ieyasu quickly realized, left no one to stop Yoshihiro Shimazu and his Conkeldurr from cutting a swathe through their formations. The Valoran gritted his teeth and waved his Aggron on, any thought of how the shadow of a nearby pillar seemed to shift was forgotten as his partner collided into the Fighting Type.

* * *

Hideyoshi found himself restlessly pacing up and down the stretch of hallway he had personally taken to guard; the entrance to Dragnor's Throne Room.

The waiting, in his mind, was worse than losing. At least in defeat the matter was definitively settled; instead now he was expected to wait for either a runner with orders to begin their advance, or for the coalition to defy all prior expectations and make their way to him before that could happen. In a word, it was infuriating.

"Lord Hideyoshi?" the Ignite did an about face when he heard Koroku call out, hoping that he had the news he wanted. The only thing he was greeted with was a perturbed-looking retainer. "Are you all right? You've been muttering under your breath for the past few minutes."

Normally the thought would have made him feel sheepish, but the circumstances just had him waving off his lieutenant's concerns with a grunt. he turned back to the hallway, and was immediately greeted with... something.

The Ignite had a hard time putting a word on it, but another something in the back of his mind told him that something about the hallway in front of him was not right. Finally finding cause to stand still, he squinted - at first, only finding that he was staring at the wall at the end of the passage, and then he began to notice that the mortar and stone seemed to shift slightly with every passing second. And the more he stared, the stronger the headache he just noticed got. It reminded Hideyoshi of the battle at Valora - how he had detected the same phenomena on his way to battle Motonari.

_Deception._

The word crashed into his thoughts with such suddenness that it broke his concentration and made him flinch - and in doing so, look away. The Ignite blinked when he realized his migraine was gone. He had no inkling as to where the thought that had so easily forced itself to the forefront of his mind came from, and not only did he find it impossible to dislodge, but the longer it remained the more powerful it began. Hideyoshi finally leveled a finger at the source of his agony.

"Infernape, Fire Spin!"

His partner hesitated only for a second, spewing out a cascade of flames in the general direction that Hideyoshi had pointed at. To the surprise of all of Hideyoshi's increasingly distressed followers, the attack didn't dissipate for lack of contact: instead the flames crashed and billowed up against a previously unseen barrier of emerald energy. Ingis' former warlord felt a small amount of satisfaction at being vindicated, even as he was taken by surprise. The flames receded quickly, revealing the source of the protect and his headache: Aurora's co-Warlords and Nobunaga's renegade sister. And at Tadashi's feet, an Umbreon; the golden rings decorating its body were still slowly flashing - and with them returned the headache - but the need to divert energy into a protect had broken the illusion long enough to reveal the trio's presence.

_"Using Confuse Ray to sneak around. Clever, rival - Nene would be impressed, assuming you haven't already fooled her as well."_

Tadashi held up a hand and cocked an eyebrow in Hideyoshi's direction, and the Ignite got there was as much reciprocal respect in the gesture as there was genuine curiosity. Hideyoshi took the initiative with a cheeky smile.

"What? Ya thought getting by me would be that easy, rival?"

Tadashi's first reply was a dry chuckle.

"You know, Hideyoshi, I haven't looked forward to a battle since Terrera," he took a step in the Ignite's direction, Umbreon clinging to his steps. "Let's see if you can meet up to my expectations."

"You'll recall I won our last match," Hideyoshi shot back, taking a step forward of his own.

"And I hope you've grown since then. Confuse Ray!"

"Mach Punch!"

Infernape was fast - faster than Tadashi expected. But it wasn't quick enough; Umbreon's rings lit up, mesmerizing the Flame Pokémon and sending it tumbling into the ground in a disgraceful heap. Hideyoshi flinched.

"Roll to the left!" to his dismay, his partner rolled to the right - pushing itself blindly against the wall and leaving itself defenseless as Umbreon sunk its fangs into the Infernape. The Moonlight Pokémon was sent reeling with a retaliatory Mach Punch to the gut, pulling off a mid-air twist to land on its paws. Hideyoshi refused to give his opponent any reprieve, especially as he soon realized that his partner had just been poisoned: time was not on his side.

"Flare Blitz!" he knew it was in of itself a risky move, with the recoil not being something to take lightly - but Hideyoshi also knew that it would be more difficult to avoid. Umbreon leaped out of Infernape's path at Tadashi's cue, only for the Fire Type to manage an about face that sent it lunging at their foe. The expatriate held in a small grin when Umbreon was sent sliding backwards.

"Mach Punch, again!" he shouted, hoping that Infernape had managed to firmly dispel whatever daze Umbreon had put it under. The Flame Pokémon's attack was met with no resistance; at first Hideyoshi was under the impression that was because Infernape had firmly preempted any counter that Tadashi was readying, but the small smirk the Auroran wore left him with a growing pit in his stomach.

"Payback!"

Umbreon, pressed between Infernape's fist and the stone below, growled out in pain; the shock that rocketed through Infernape elicited a similar howl as it staggered backwards and then doubled over as the toxic claimed its due. Hideyoshi felt his breath hitch at the sight; realizing that the next attack would be the one that decided the battle - not only his, but quite possibly the battle for Dragnor - and decided that nothing could be held back.

"Let's finish this with Flare Blitz, Infernape! For IGNIS!" Infernape, latching onto the enthusiasm sent across their link, mustered up as much of its strength as it could with a roar that threatened to shake the castle's walls. Orange and red turned blue as Infernape rushed in the direction of the Auroran and his partner, threatening to turn their aspirations to ash. Tadashi and Umbreon held firm in the face of the sweltering assault, the Moonlight Pokémon bracings its forelegs for the inevitable collision. Tadashi finally raised an arm skywards, and Umbreon responded with a speed to rival Infernape's; had he been a second later in his timing, the barrier that had initially revealed their presence would have been trampled underfoot before it had time to mature. Instead Hideyoshi's partner crashed headfirst into the counter-shield, the flames that it had commanded enveloping the Fire Type and licking around the edges of the Protect. When the shield dropped and the last of the flames dissipated, Hideyoshi's partner was laying in a crumpled heap on the cold stones below. The Ignite's face dropped as he deflated with a long, wistful sigh, and then bounced back with a small chuckle as he made his way over to the Pokémon.

"Ya know rival," he began, bending down to slip one of Infernape's arms over the back of his neck. The Ignite grunted when he stood back up, managing to lift up the Fire Type and make eye contact with the Auroran. "That makes us even; three to three."

Tadashi blinked, mind racing back over past campaigns - twice Ignis, then Fontaine, Chrysalia, Viperia, and now here.

"I suppose it does," the Auroran managed a small smile, even as Umbreon retreated into the shadow of his cape. "But we'll have to settle the score another time."

"Well," Hideyoshi's face was consumed with a sly grin, and he staggered to the side to make room for the trio of Aurorans. "If ya can beat Lord Nobunaga, that is."

Tadashi's reply was a grim nod, any joviality he had entertained draining away faster than his sense of worth had. The three marched solemnly through the columns of stolid Ignites and down the last stretch of the passageway to the doors leading to Dragnor's Throne Room. Tadashi stopped at the entrance when he heard a short gasp from behind him - glancing back over his shoulder, he had expected it to be Oichi, but her features only seemed to become harder with every step she took forwards. To his surprise, the sound had come from his sister, who was busy staring at the patterns on the doors like they were a prophecy. Kazumi blinked when she realized her companions were staring.

"I'm sorry, it's nothing," the Auroran said with a small shake of the head, trying to free her thoughts of the shadow of Yaksha and the morbid dreams that had plagued her. Tadashi fought back a frown by pursing his lips, turned back to the edifice, and pushed.

The doors were surprisingly silent as they gave way - as silent as the chamber they entered. The sole inhabitant was not Nobunaga seated haughtily on his obsidian throne, but a simple page; sitting, knees folded, in quiet meditation at the foot of the stairs Kazumi knew all too well. Motonari's words then hit her with a vengeance. Ranmaru slowly rose, the Lucario at his side mimicking his movement, and gazed at Oichi with something approaching sympathy before he turned to the Aurorans and forced away any sentimentality.

"I will not let you harm Lord Nobunaga," the boy said calmly, at odds with how swiftly he moved to block Tadashi's path. The twin only arced an eyebrow.

"You believe we could cause him harm?" the question - one that Oichi had to suppress a small smile over - seemed to cause a momentary ontological crisis for Ranmaru, but he quickly pushed it aside with a firm shake of the head. The Dragnovian raised his fists in a fighting stance for emphasis as his Lucario took point. Tadashi just huffed and prepared to give an order when Kazumi preempted him by forcing her way to the front.

"Go on, brother, I'll handle this," Tadashi opened his mouth to object and was cut off by Kazumi shouting 'Protect!' as the Lucario moved to attack. She looked back. "I'll join you when this is over, if you haven't already wrapped things up by then. Now go!"

The girl turned back to the battle at hand before she could see Tadashi allow himself a small smile.

"Good luck, sister," he muttered, following Oichi as they climbed up the stairs feeding into the balcony looming above Dragnor's throne. He spared one last glance back at the battle, Kazumi's Espeon now having pinned Lucario to the floor with a Psychic, before stepping into the stairwell leading into Dragnor's uppermost tower.

* * *

"Good work, everybody," Hideyoshi said, taking advantage of a break in the yelling to catch his breath. The coalition warriors that had pushed their way into his sector had been beaten back by his warriors; with Infernape still unconscious, he had been relegated to commanding from the rear. Part of him wondered how the Aurorans were faring against Nobunaga, given the amount of time that had passed. Pushing those sympathetic thoughts from his mind, the Ignite motioned for Yoshitsugu and Sakon to take a few warriors and pursue the last of their fleeing opponents while the rest of them recuperated; they had barely passed out of his sight when he heard his name echo. He took a curious look around; he didn't recognize the voice, its echo made it impossible to tell where it had come from, and none of the nearby warriors showed any signs that they had called out to him or even heard.

"Sir?" Hideyoshi blinked when he realized he had been looking around a bit too frenetically. He turned to his lieutenant and was about to give a half-hearted 'it's nothing', but something in the back of his head told him that was untrue.

"Just thought I heard my name," he said, too enveloped in his own thoughts about why he felt compelled to change his response to hear Koroku grunt in response.

_"Tokichiro Kinoshita..."_

Hideyoshi's heart skipped a beat as the words ran down his spine. Again he heard his name: his true name - not the one he had marked down when he entered that fateful tourney that saw him catch the eye of Ignis' occupiers, but his birthname. He felt compelled to turn back the direction they had fought their way down. He could immediately rule out any of his subordinates as having called out to him; the voice spoke with such power that it seemed to transcend sound and launch itself against him on an emotional level that bordered on the nostalgic; something he had heard no Psychic, not even Kenshin, of being capable of.

Whatever it was, he was certain it was antediluvian - and it was calling to him. The expatriate felt no recourse but to heed it.

"Koroku, take over here," he left before his second in command had any chance to object or question; his steps felt light, as if he had suddenly stumbled into and then woken up from a dream, having no recollection of the twists or turns that his journey consisted of, but knowing the end destination all too well: Dragnor's archives.

His pulse raced as he put a hand on the metallic door, and it only quickened when he realized it was warm to the touch. He pushed, stepping into the largest repository of knowledge in Ransei. The creaking of the ancient door did nothing to dull the sound of crackling flames; that his first instinct was not that the castle had been set alight during the battle but that the room was completely devoid of any smoke or even the smell of it was something that he did not reflect too deeply upon. Hideyoshi followed the sound of the fire until he tumbled into a clearing from the forest of bookshelves: a small series of tables, illuminated by a fireplace just out of sight.

What captured his attention, however, was who was waiting for him.

"Lord Hideyoshi," Motonari rumbled as he opened his eyes. The Greenleafer was seated behind one of the tables that lined the area, but no article was sprawled out for him to read; Hideyoshi would have assumed he was napping had he not acknowledged him. And the Greenleafer's words echoed the ones that initially drew him. Slowly, the mossy man began to stretch upwards. "We are pleased that you came."

Hideyoshi blinked and then realized the Warlord was standing in front of him - he couldn't help the gulp that followed as he looked up to meet the man's gaze. His past encounters with Greenleaf's infamous warlord had left him with the impression of a deceptively unassuming man. He was not supposed to be looming over him.

"Y-You," he finally managed. "You called me?"

"Not I," Motonari turned towards the fireplace, brandishing a half-smile that seemed as potent as any of Nobunaga's. "Though I confess I have paid attention to your journey for some time. You have managed to consistently defy many of my expectations... such so that I have only been left with one."

"Why am I here?" Hideyoshi asked, and any bearing that the Ignite had managed to scrape together was shattered as Motonari's attention turned back to him - if he had just cut to the core of their conversation, then the Greenleafer's gaze could cut to the core of his being.

"Lord Hideyoshi; have you never wondered why you were blessed with a link?"

"The idea haunts my thoughts," he returned, finding the retiree's verbage suspect. "What are you implying?"

Motonari gave no direct answer: he opened with a low, breathless chuckle that sounded more like a sigh.

"Would you like to know the truth? The _whole_ truth," before Hideyoshi could even give a reply, Motonari stepped to the side and gestured towards the recess that held the fireplace. Hideyoshi took a few cautious steps forward, eyeing the Greenleafer for any sudden movements as he closed. Motonari's arm remained outstretched, but the smile had vanished into something more stern.

Hideyoshi turned towards the fireplace, and his blood ran cold.

That the fire was smokeless was the least noticeable detail; it was a deep, brilliant blue that ate away at the stone fireplace as if it were wood. Hideyoshi immediately realized just what he was in the presence of.

"Y-You're..." that was all the Ignite managed; he fell to his knees as the aspect drew him in, consuming his thoughts and rendering him speechless as he struggled for words. Motonari allowed for a decidedly bitter grimace.

"When I, the so-called Lord of Deception, seized Ignis and the Light Stone disappeared, its citizens believed that Reshiram had forsaken them - and that I had been sent as punishment for their arrogance," Hideyoshi heard a dark, ancient chuckle rise from the Greenleafer. "In a manner, they were correct. No one seemed to think much of my adolescence, spent in captivity in Ignis and under the tutelage of Tsunehisa Amago."

"Then why didn't you..." Hideyoshi found himself trailing off again as his head started to swirl, whispers of Reshiram's voice returning to tell of the destiny it had set aside for him.

"Announce myself? Continue down the warpath?" the reflection of the blue flames danced in Motonari's glassy gaze. "Oh, how the thought tempted me. But I made a promise to her..." there was a short pause, as if the Greenleafer was measuring the validity of his words. "More importantly, however, is that this war was started by petty idealism - and I was heretic in that regard. Unlike Shingen, Kenshin, Ujiyasu, and Sorin, we presented a true threat to the new status quo; and had I gone beyond the south, that status quo would have united to destroy us, as it believes it has against Nobunaga. No; Ransei needs someone to write the history of its unification, someone who ostensibly is not its chief architect. But that is my role; and yours will be needed in the many decades to come."

Hideyoshi did not reach out and grab destiny; the flames seemed to explode outwards at him as Motonari finished. Hideyoshi gasped, and would have screamed in shock had his voice not failed him as the fire snaked up his arm. He doubled over, the flames numbing his senses as his vision faded.

* * *

"Oichi?" Tadashi asked between a ragged breath.

She stopped and turned back.

"Yes?" the Dragnovian asked, already having a good idea of what he was about to ask.

"How many more flights of stairs are there?"

Just because she had expected the question did not leave her feeling any less sympathy for the sentiment.

"This tower was built centuries ago to rival Infinite Tower," she replied, taking a glance back up the stairwell. "It's a miracle of engineering."

"That's one way to put it," the Auroran muttered bitterly. He was about to restate it in less elegant terms when Oichi turned back, took a step up, and promptly slipped. He let one of his feet drop a down step as he caught her, the Jigglypuff that had been in her arms seconds prior floating harmlessly to their feet. "I would say it's a miracle it hasn't managed to kill us yet."

Secretly, Tadashi enjoyed the closeness of having her in his arms - but this was neither the time nor place for such thoughts, and he busied himself with making sure that Oichi had someone to lean on as she regained her footing.

"Thank you," Oichi replied, face faintly dusted with red. Tadashi resisted the urge to cock an eyebrow - had she been caught up in similar thoughts? "Anyways, the air is starting to get thin, so we aren't far from the summit."

He had noticed that as well; far sooner than her, in fact, as Tadashi observed her press on unaffected even as he began to feel the strain in his chest. Not that he would allow himself to show it - and if Oichi was beginning to feel the pressure, then he was bound to believe her. They resumed their march, and thankfully Oichi's prediction proved to be true; the stairway turned abruptly, leading up to an opening that casted a harsh sunset into the tower. He placed a hand on Oichi's shoulder; she turned, nodded, and allowed him to pass.

For all the aches that still assailed him from the trek, the platform he stepped out onto almost made it worth it. Before him spread out the vastness of Dragnor's mountains and valleys - and even more distantly, the rest of Ransei - and the horizon stretched as far as he could see. The sunset doubtlessly would have been breathtaking had Nobunaga not been blocking it.

Dragnor's Warlord turned away from the panorama and met the venomous glares of the two warlords with a smirk as haughty as the purpose of his favored tower. Tadashi's hand hovered near the hilt of his sword as he realized that he was quite literally stepping into the warlord's shadow.

"Brave of you to come alone," the Dragnovian drawled. Tadashi cocked an eyebrow - wondering momentarily who he was addressing and then deciding that the two of them constituted only one warrior in the Dragnovian's eyes. Nobunaga then took a step in their direction, the movement echoing like the drop of a gavel. "To come so far and still know so little..." the smirk turned into a lupine grin. "Doubtlessly, you have questions."

Tadashi retorted with a grimace.

"We do, do we?" he knew why Nobunaga was asking; it would be a chance for him to openly gloat.

"That Nobunaga could ask at all demonstrates your impotence," the Dragnovian returned, tone as sharp as his gaze. Tadashi would have flinched had the remark not succeeded in making his blood simmer.

"So be it," Tadashi growled, thinking that he best take advantage of his foe's offer and buy more time for his sister. Kazumi had finally given him her faith, and he had to return it - because Tadashi was far from certain that an Umbreon and Jigglypuff on their own would be enough to defeat the god he had worshipped for as long as he could remember. "Then enlighten us; why? You've gone through all the trouble of bringing us here - for what? The battle rages below while you wait up here. You nearly scattered our army before we even got to the walls of Dragnor only to turn tail after getting slapped by a limp-wristed Masamune. Do you _want_ to lose Ransei?"

"Lose Ransei?" Nobunaga's eyes widened a hair as he echoed Tadashi's words, which scattered what had been an unflappable mien and revealed something vaster than Dragnor's canyons within its Warlord. The chuckle - barely-restrained cackle - that followed made Tadashi take a step in Oichi's direction. "It is well too late to alter history - and Nobunaga shall gain Ransei by losing this war."

Neither Tadashi or Oichi could find it in themselves to respond; for a long second, the only sound was that of the wind whipping through the veranda.

"You..." it was Oichi who finally managed to speak; Tadashi spared a quick glance out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was trembling, porcelain complexion painted red. "Your followers have given everything for you. Lord Mitsuhide was pushed into murder because of your actions. All of it - was all of it for nothing!?"

"Not for nothing," the conqueror's lupine features only reinforced themselves as he entrenched his grin into a grimace. "Just as your death was not to be for nothing."

All the color Oichi had mustered drained from her face, and she flexed her fingers as if debating whether or not they alone would be enough to rip out his throat. Tadashi, through a thick scowl, considered whether or not he should do it for her. Nobunaga continued as he always had.

"And Nobunaga must applaud you, dear sister, for having managed your job with such aplomb."

"What in distortion are you talking about!?" she nearly screamed, just as Tadashi's gaze whipped between the two Dragnovians.

"Did you never once stop to consider that if Mitsuhide had been pushed into his actions, you had not been pushed into yours?"

Oichi began to tremble again, even as her blood ran cold.

"What..." she muttered, listlessly, having finally digested the implications of Nobunaga's prior statements only to be faced with one that she feared she would choke on.

"You played the most important role in orchestrating these theatrics, Oichi; Nobunaga's emissary, one that would spread word to the southern kingdoms of his misdeeds, one that could serve as a rallying cry against him," the turn Nobunaga's grin took made Tadashi as ill as Oichi. "That you did not initially turn to Greenleaf and avoided becoming a martyr have proven to be inconsequential."

"You... you razed Avia... Just to get me to..." Oichi's legs buckled and her knees hit the floor, Tadashi holding onto a shoulder before she could go any further; the girl stayed perfectly still, gaze vacant as she stared at the tiling. Tadashi held his attention to Oichi for another long minute before looking back up at Nobunaga, letting out a ragged breath through clenched teeth.

"Killing you would be a mercy," Tadashi growled as he unsheathed his sword. "But if you're so insistent upon throwing this battle, then your head will have to do."

There was no yell as Tadashi charged Dragnor's Warlord; only quiet determination to deliver justice. He was upon Nobunaga within a few seconds; in a fraction of that time Nobunaga brandished his own blade and effortlessly intercepted the strike aimed at his neck. Tadashi growled as the twang of steel clashing grated against his ears; he brought his sword overhead, only to be met with the same result.

"Throw the battle?" Nobunaga chuckled, even as Tadashi's blade hovered inches away from his face. "No, nothing so mundane," the Dragnovian broke their deadlock with a push, and Tadashi retaliated by twisting around to his flank. That too was disrupted; this time by a short kick from the warlord in black that sent the Auroran stumbling backwards, towards the opening in the veranda Nobunaga had been gazing out of. The only sound Tadashi managed to hear over the pounding in his chest was Oichi's gasp; he felt the wind tug at his cape as his boots scraped the edge of the tower, sending his sword plummeting to the ground hundreds of feet below. He threw out his arms in a vain attempt to regain balance or grasp onto something - anything - and only succeeded in twisting himself to face the sky separating him from the battle being waged down on the walls below.

And then he felt a firm hand clench itself around his wrist, leaving him suspended on that ledge, staring down at the distant throng of warriors who were blissfully unaware of the sham battle they were fighting. He looked back, and didn't know whether shock or rage would be more appropriate at the sight of Nobunaga keeping him from falling over the ledge. Dragnor's Warlord looked back; Oichi's hand was frozen in shock at the sight, outstretched as she futilely tried reaching for Tadashi, while his Umbreon just hissed at the Dragnovian. He loosened his grip on the Auroran for a shadow of the second, letting him lurch in the direction that gravity so desperately wanted to send him before being yanked back to the precipice; a display that succeeded in muzzling the Dark Type. Nobunaga turned back to Tadashi, who was currently gaining a new appreciation for his sister's fear of heights.

"What do you see, boy?" Nobunaga's voice lumbered, pushing against the Auroran's balance. His vision strained against the battle below and then moved to the less-dizzying horizon.

"A broken region consumed by a pointless conflict," he managed to maintain some measure of confidence in his voice. The chuckle that came out of Nobunaga was of an entirely different caliber to the ones that had been thrown against himself and Oichi prior; the Auroran almost got the impression that he was pleased by his response. Tadashi held in a yelp as Nobunaga pulled on his wrist - nearly pulling his arm back out of its socket - and sent him flying back into the tower. Aurora's warlord landed not ungracefully; grunting as he managed a roll, rising back on shaky feet with a heavy huff. Oichi was at his side, grasping his elbow before he could collapse.

"Good," Nobunaga replied, eyes narrowing in their direction. "And do you know the origin of this conflict?"

Tadashi glared back, and would have reached for his sword again had the sight of it plummeting into the distance below not been cycling through his mind's eye.

"There was a war of succession over the Shogunate, and then..."

For a brief moment, Tadashi felt almost embarrassed as he found his mind blank of any pertinent details. But where his ignorance of history - or, rather, that it did not surpass that of the average person's - left him lacking details, he still understood begrudgingly understood the point. Nobunaga effortlessly recognized the flicker of recognition in his silvery gaze.

"Indeed. The war persisted after both claimants were in the ground. The war continued to be waged even after the very institution they claimed was destroyed and the provinces became kingdoms. And the war continues to drag on, devoid of all legal pretenses; petty ambition and delusions of the Legendary Pokémon are sufficient to fuel it. It has carried on to such an extent, exacted such a heavy toll upon Ransei, that we have been forced to reform our very concept of war; turning to our partners to carry a burden that we grew too weary for. And yet we find ourselves too prideful to admit it," Nobunaga let out a breath, one that bordered on a low, rumbling growl. "We naturally gravitate to the strongest amongst us - and this war has tragically bred some of the greatest minds to grace our history. Such strength blinded them; so assured of their own brilliance, they sought to repeat the mistakes of the past and receive a different outcome. Nothing but self-assured fools, save one, whose cowardice is a greater offense."

Nobunaga's lips twisted into a trenchant grimace, whereas Oichi found herself unable to think of a proper response and Tadashi, to his quiet horror, not wanting to think of a response.

"And so the solution to Ransei's cycle became evident to Nobunaga; there must be a threat great enough to force the warlords to swallow their pride and rally around a single figure, and that single figure must consolidate his authority by overcoming that threat."

"But why me?" Tadashi uttered after a long moment of silence. "I am... I am nothing."

Nobunaga allowed himself to arc an eyebrow, as if he had just been meet with a riddle.

"Who Oichi convinced to take up the banner against Nobunaga was of little import - Shingen and Kenshin would be too preoccupied to prevent a unification of the west. That it ultimately fell upon you was happenstance; that you have become suitable for the role is not."

"Suitable..." the word tasted bitter to the Auroran, and he released a hollow chuckle that echoed Nobunaga's. He finally managed eye contact with the Dragnovian. "And what makes you believe that Ransei will stay at peace once you are defeated?"

"Any of the Warlords would be fools to challenge you after your victory here today, after defeating the worst monster spawned by our times," one of the Dragnovian's gauntlets reached inside his coat. "We have procrastinated long enough. Come; end Nobunaga and unify Ransei. Achieve what far greater men have failed miserably to do. Prove you are worthy of the sacrifices that have brought you here."

Tadashi's throat tightened and he quietly drew closer to Oichi when he saw that the Dragnovian was holding the Dark Stone. But he forced himself to stand back up, joints aching as he rose to his full height. Oichi placed a hand - softly - on his shoulder and managed a small, reassuring smile. He managed to return it, and then devoted himself to the menace across the veranda.

"So be it," he held up a hand, and Umbreon was back in front of him within seconds, ready to strike at the insurmountable odds it was facing.

"Zekrom," of its own accord, the little black sphere that had played such a vital role in Violight's history began to float out of Nobunaga's palm, sparks dancing across its circumference as it defied gravity. "Nobunaga requires your strength once more."

The sparks intensified into a shower, scattering across the black tiling and arcing through the air in brilliant blue bursts. Tadashi's nostrils flared as they were assailed with the smell of ozone, watching in a combination of awe and trepidation as the Dark Stone slowly expanded outwards, gradually taking form until he was staring up at the Deep Black Pokémon, easily doubling himself or Oichi in height. Zekrom's crimson gaze eyed him for a moment, and for the first time since Terrera Tadashi felt truly small. But he refused to allow himself to be intimidated.

"Umbreon; Feint!" he ordered, putting as much force into his voice as he lowered a hand in the direction of the god before him. Oichi raised an eyebrow at the idea of charging headfirst against Zekrom, but said nothing and motioned for Jigglypuff to follow her a few steps to the side. Nobunaga raised an eyebrow as he watched Umbreon approach, the occasional flash of the rings on its body easily overshadowed by the purple glint in its fangs. Dragnor's Warlord let out a dismissive sigh through his nostrils.

"Outrage," with a speed that was utterly incongruous to its mass, Zekrom twisted its entire body and sent an arm into the Moonlight Pokémon, effortlessly sweeping aside the assault.

"Don't reuse your mentor's tried tactics," Nobunaga said, sounding almost disappointed as Umbreon slid back to its partner.

"I made an exception for this," Tadashi replied, and the glib in his voice made Nobunaga arc an eyebrow. The Dragnovian did not have to wait to get an explanation: Zekrom's stumbling about as it continued to thrash around immediately got his attention.

"Clever," the Dragnovian said, dryly, watching in mild amusement as Zekrom tried to regain its senses from Umbreon's Confuse Ray. Tadashi took no satisfaction in the remark; they both knew that the Auroran had only succeeded in buying time; Zekrom was still wildly thrashing about, ruling out any possibility of Umbreon safely landing a hit. And Umbreon had already survived one of Zekrom's swipes. But where Tadashi was straining to think of a course of action, Oichi took action.

"Sing!" Nobunaga's gaze darkened as Oichi momentarily recaptured his attention. The sound of Jigglypuff's voice managed to ease some of Tadashi's nerves, and reduced Zekrom to a sluggish stagger, and then brought it to its knees, motionless. Tadashi couldn't help a quiet chuckle as he eyed the small puffball, but quickly put aside the distraction.

"Toxic," Umbreon wasted no time in crossing the gap that Zekrom had managed to create: leaping up onto the Dragon's shoulder with a delicateness that belied its purpose, it spun around on its front paws and sank its fangs into the nape of the god's neck. Zekrom's eyes shot open, red inflamed further with rage, and let out a roar that shook the floor and screamed in Tadashi's skull. Oichi had to cover her ears as she flinched. Umbreon, in a bout of impudence, bounded over to Zekrom's other shoulder and unleashed a Night Slash upon its face as it leaped off the Deep Black Pokémon. Zekrom's response was a blind swipe that Tadashi's partner narrowly avoided; it was only spared the wrath of another sloppy retaliatory attack by a well-timed Protect. And where the fallout of Hydreigon's Draco Meteor had been felt even through the barrier, an ill-prepared counter from a still confused Zekrom threatened to smash through the emerald shield outright. Tadashi let out a tight breath; he had felt the magnitude of the pain that flared across their link when Zekrom had first repulsed his partner. He questioned whether or not Umbreon could endure the same punishment again.

Zekrom, still delirious, reared back for another strike; it missed, landing harrowingly close to Tadashi's entrenched partner, and the aftershocks of the Outrage momentarily caused the Auroran to loose his balance. Oichi seemed almost inspired by him having to step back.

"Gyro Ball, Jigglypuff!" Once again Jigglypuff intervened when Zekrom was indisposed; spinning around like a top, the Balloon Pokémon threw all of its momentum into its strike as it launched itself into the Dragon's chest. Zekrom recoiled at the force the Normal Type had managed to amass - to the amazement of Oichi - while Tadashi saw another opening.

"Night Slash, again!" his heart raced, faster than Umbreon as it bounded across cracked or disjointed tiling towards its lumbering opponent. Nobunaga's calmness - even in spite of what they had just learned - did nothing to help his nerves. Umbreon leaped up right as Jigglypuff began to bounce away, aiming for the Dragon's neck.

"Fusion Bolt."

The faint hum of the turbine that served as Zekrom's tail shot to life, arcs of electricity dancing out of it when the whirring exploded with the crack of thunder. Tadashi was forced to shield his eyes as the immediate battlefield was seized with an eruption of electricity, and he would have stumbled back were he not frozen with memories of Terrera. Both his and Oichi's partners were sent flying; Jigglypuff had been visibly singed black in multiple places, and Umbreon would have been too had its fur been any lighter. Both landed in crumpled heaps; miraculously still conscious, but struggling to stand. The Dragnovian across from them looked disappointed; Tadashi's mind raced quicker than his pulse, the all too familiar temptation of letting Umbreon draw on his strength reasserting itself with more urgency than ever.

It would be easy; his fears and hesitations melting away as the course the battle needed to take unfolded before him, his Umbreon's strength reasserting itself with such an impetus that not even Zekrom would be prepared, and the pain that would follow being numbed by the euphoria of ultimate victory. And then, he found himself looking back in Oichi's direction. Her face was a crude copy of his, looking as frantic as he felt, her eyes darting between all three Pokémon and her brother. Oichi knew she was the weakest of the three of them, and Jigglypuff was doubtlessly worse for wear than Umbreon; that only made the idea of tapping into his Warrior Skill all the more appealing.

And then she looked back at him and had the guts to give him a reassuring smile. Tadashi felt his will begin to erode, even as Nobunaga continued to watch his foes struggle to regroup and Zekrom slowly regained its senses. What followed next was surreal to him; Oichi's gaze returned to their Pokémon, her lips parted, and the most beautiful song he had heard began to weave itself through the air. And he could feel the pain flaring through his link slowly dissipate as the tune continued. Oichi's aria ended far too quickly in his mind; enraptured in watching the effect it had on his partner, he turned back just in time to see the princess pale and swaying where she stood. Nobunaga saw it as well.

"Protect!" Tadashi shouted as he sprinted to Oichi's side, catching her right as her legs gave out; Umbreon's timing was just as fortuitous, barely managing another protect as Zekrom launched itself against the Dark Type with another Outrage. Jigglypuff did not move to intervene; it was more concerned with the barely-conscious woman cradled in the Auroran's arms.

"You..." his voice was shaky, having fully realized what he just witnessed, and he spared a tentative gaze back at the battle before allowing his attentions to return to Oichi. She just gave a weak nod, smile unmoving.

"This is my burden to bear with you," her voice was hoarse, and her porcelain complexion took on a pallid twist. Tadashi could only nod; with one hand around her shoulder and the other holding hers, he helped her to stand back up. The battle in absentia had done little to progress; Umbreon's protect had managed to hold, while Zekrom prepared to flail against it once more again, even as the Toxic continued to claim its due. Tadashi's breath hitched as Zekrom reared a claw back, preparing to smash through the barrier Umberon was struggling to maintain, only to watch in awe as the Dragon seemed to have lost all control over its own arm, held up in a twitching stasis as Zekrom balked and struggled to bring it downwards. He looked to Nobunaga, hoping to find some explanation; the only thing he saw was a dark gaze pointed behind him. The Auroran followed it and found his twin and her Espeon. Kazumi said nothing, only giving him a firm nod in Zekrom's direction.

"Umbreon, finish this!" Umbreon wasted no time in launching its final offensive, Zekrom being left wide open as Espeon struggled to hold the Dragon back. The Moonlight Pokémon dropped the barrier and leaped up at its lumbering foe, claws slashing into its neck in a Night Slash with all the vindictiveness of the Auroran who ordered the attack. Espeon released its tentative grip on Zekrom's arm right as its counterpart's attack connected, the sudden lack of a counterweight sending the titan sprawling downwards as Umbreon cut into it, barely avoiding being crushed underneath it in the process. After Tadashi's partner landed a good deal away from the wreckage, the room seemed to stand still; no one spoke, all eyes fixated on the downed legend, watching for the slightest movement. And then another wave of electricity overtook Zekrom, obscuring its body and blinding the room with its intensity. When Tadashi blinked away the last of the spots that had danced across his vision, all that remained of Zekrom was a harmless-looking obsidian sphere.

Tadashi looked back at Nobunaga; the Dragnovian was eyeing the Dark Stone with an inscrutable furor. He showed no signs of anger or rage, and disappointment seemed too extreme a term to use, but what little he saw in the conqueror's hollow gaze would have been best described as longing. The Auroran looked back at Oichi, only to be met with a similar sense that this was a hollow victory to her. He pushed such thoughts out of his head; making sure that Oichi was steady, he took a step forward, intent on apprehending his defeated opponent. Not a moment after taking that step did he hear a low rumbling. He froze, eyes darting back to the dormant Zekrom, still lying harmlessly on the tiles. And then the ground itself began to quake.

Nobunaga was the first to react; he spun around, orienting himself in the direction of Infinite Tower, hands balling into fists.

"So... the legends were true," Tadashi managed to pick up the murderous inflection the Dragnovian's voice, even as he had retreated to Oichi's side to make sure she wouldn't fall. His gaze immediately shot to the Dark Stone, hackles rising at the thought of Nobunaga turning around and commanding Zekrom to rise again, and renewing the battle over this latest revelation. More panic shot through his veins when he saw that it was gone, only to let out the breath pounding against his lungs when he looked to Kazumi and saw her holding it, wearing a half-smile that would have been considered smug had she not been preoccupied with keeping her footing. The earthquake ended as quickly and suddenly as it began, allaying Tadashi's fears that the tower would collapse underneath them. Nobunaga showed no signs of having even noticed how the very earth itself seemed to announce his defeat, taking a step towards the edge of the veranda. Tadashi let go of Oichi, called Umbreon back to his side, stopping in his steps when he heard his sister run up behind him. No words needed to be exchanged as they advanced on the man that had orchestrated his own destruction. Nobunaga turned to watch the Aurorans approach, the biting, toothless smirk he wore giving them pause.

"Ransei has finally been unified," Nobunaga took a step backwards, his heel scraping the edge Tadashi had become intimately familiar with.

"And our first act will be to put you on trial for your crimes," Tadashi returned, his Umbreon baring its fangs at Nobunaga. The Dragnovian indulged in arcing an eyebrow.

"Oh? And whose law has Nobunaga transgressed?" the Dragnovian turned back to the black spire in the distance. "We shall find out soon enough."

Before Tadashi could do anything, Nobunaga took another step backwards, throwing himself off the edge of the tower; Kazumi kept a respectful distance as Tadashi ran to the edge, just in time to see the Dragnovian flying off on his Hydreigon. The Auroran followed Nobunaga's path towards Infinite Tower, finding himself increasingly drawn towards the ancient structure. He spun away from the rapidly darkening horizon, eyes distant.

* * *

The battle in Dragnor's great hall had slowly grinded to a close, numbers having gradually cordoned the Valorans away from the passages they were guarding and allowing more and more coalition warriors to pour into the depths of Nobunaga's redoubt. Ieyasu could find nothing to be ashamed about in the performance of his warriors: they and their partners had fought valiantly, making the westerners pay for every inch they seized, even as they were slowly whittled down. Ieyasu did not even particularly feel ashamed over having been one of the first warriors to be defeated in the battle, his Aggron having put up a valiant fight against Yoshihiro's Conkeldur. But they had, eventually, been cowed: only one of his warriors remained fighting, and Tadakatsu had made it plainly evident that no interlopers in his duel would be tolerated when Metagross knocked out Yoshihiro's partner with a single Meteor Mash that had been doled out almost as an afterthought. The battle between Tadakatsu, Shingen, Kenshin and Ujiyasu had captivated the warriors of both armies, and amidst holding out hope that the battle was going better elsewhere, Ieyasu had to wonder how many realized that this would very likely be the last time in their lives they were able to witness such a spectacle.

And then, right after Metagross landed another Meteor Mash that sent Ujiyasu's partner spiraling into unconsciousness, the ground began to shake. Under normal circumstances Ieyasu would not have been surprised had Tadakatsu somehow managed that - or that Shingen had resorted to calling in an earthquake - but Valora's Warlord immediately realized what had just happened.

_"Lord Nobunaga..."_ none of the nearby warriors remarked over the sudden sullen twist his mien had taken, preoccupied as they were with trying not to fall down or gazing nervously at the pillars and walls as they trembled. The earthquake was over within seconds, having passed without any of the combatants seeming to have noticed it, save Kenshin. He lowered his gaze from the arched roof, returning to the battle and saw the opening he had been waiting for. Even more importantly, he saw the end. Kenshin couldn't recall if he had verbally or mentally given the command, only that Gallade obeyed without hesitation, filled his fatalistic fervor as it charged Metagross and delivered the final strike that Rhyperior had nearly been rendered unconscious in failing to do so. The strike landed true, sending Tadakatsu's partner into the floor. Time seemed to stand still as everyone waited for the slightest sign that Metagross had more fight in it. Instead the only thing the Steel Type could muster was a rusty groan as it sank against the floor. Time resumed for the warriors surrounding them, cheers and gasps rising up from the crowd along partisan lines. Time did not resume for Kenshin. The pain returned with a vengeance, as he knew it would. His vision began to swirl. It took a second for the Illusite to realize he was staring at the ceiling. Shingen had not caught him that time, but the Terreran was at his side only a second later. Distantly could make out Ujiyasu shooing away the warriors who tried following Shingen.

"Nemesis..." Kenshin made no effort to hide the rot in his voice. He watched the corner's of Shingen's lips twitch at the sound.

"Don't worry, rival, I've already called for-" the Warlord in red was one snivel short of blubbering. Kenshin allowed a hoarse, thick cough to escape his lips.

"I exceeded the timetable a month ago, nemesis," he said, silencing Shingen immediately. The Terreran continued staring down at his lifelong rival, even as Gallade, Aya and Kanetsugu made their way to their warlord, huddling around him and shielding him from the eyes of the room. Kenshin watched, with fading vision, as Shingen removed the mask from his face, revealing the tears running down his otherwise stony countenance.

"We've made a new Ransei," Kenshin found the strength to announce as Ujiyasu joined them; Shingen knew who it was directed too. "But it will not be ours. Still... I am... happy," the words seemed foreign, almost exotic to the humorless Illusite - but his lips twitched upwards all the same. "To let my journey end here."

"I'm... content, to let our dispute go unresolved," the Terreran managed. Kenshin let out another hoarse chuckle, even as the light began to fade from his eyes.

"That, Shingen, we shall settle eventually..." the Illusite replied, letting out his final breath. Shingen watched his rival's head loll to the side; Aya closed his eyes, held his body and finally began to cry.

"Eventually..." Shingen repeated, donning his mask once more. None of them looked up as Tadakatsu approached. Wordlessly, the Valoran knelt down and placed his spear at Kenshin's feet, and then silently melded back into the crowd. Shingen remained where he was, even after Aya, Kanetsugu and Ujiyasu had removed Kenshin's body, even after the crowd had begun to disperse. He remained staring down at the spot where his rival laid until Kazumi's voice had dragged his gaze upwards.

"Lord Shingen," the pallor on her face told him that she knew what had happened. Her gaze was sympathetic, but she dared not flash a smile. Behind her, he could make out her brother, flanked by Nobunaga's sister and Motonari, returning the Dark Stone to Violight's warlords. "We're going to Infinite Tower."

"Go on without me, lass," he said, after a long moment. The Terreran's gaze returned to the floor. "It won't be right if I would get to see the Legendary Pokémon but he wouldn't."

Kazumi would have nodded if she thought it would have done any good. And Tadashi was at her side within moments.

"It's time."


	55. Chapter 55

Tadashi looked over the entourage that had accompanied him and Oichi to Infinite Tower; his sister and her tacticians had been a given, as had Motonari. A last minute decision had seen him ask Ginchiyo and Muneshige to accompany them; Dosetsu could handle the cleanup in the castle, and he had little inkling as to the outcome of the events to come. Readily allowing Masamune to tag along was something that had taken even the Avian himself by surprise: part of the Auroran hoped the Legendary Pokémon would simply smite the kinslayer - were it to actually reveal itself to them - but the shrewder side of his mind had found itself unable to shake off Nobunaga's soliloquy. And that had fueled his decision. His gaze then drifted upwards; from his position at the base of the tower, the structure easily lived up to its name, stretching well above the cloudline.

The idea of having to climb it after marching up Nobunaga's tower was almost enough to make him reconsider whether it would be worth it. Almost.

He cast aside those hesitations, those petty troubles. The rush he felt when he placed a palm on the irregularly smooth doorway to the tower was indescribable; his breath hitched when the doors began to part of their own accord. It was almost impossible for the Auroran to see what laid inside the tower, but he could make out the staircase looming in the back of the chamber. He resisted the urge to sigh and took a step through the threshold.

To his surprise - and likely that of everyone else - the march up Infinite Tower was quick. Far too quick in his opinion; none of his muscles ached as he found himself stomping up towards the summit of the tower, the trek through the blackened passages having gone by in what felt like nary a blink. And when he stepped out onto the pitch-black roof, overlooking all of Ransei, he immediately found that his words escaped him in a solitary gasp at what loomed above.

"Brother?" Kazumi watched, with no small amount of consternation, as he took a drunken step forwards.

"You... you don't see it?" his voice was distant, teetering on the edge of awe. Kazumi followed her brother's gaze upwards, towards the endless sky stretching above. It was truly beautiful; a panorama of stars on a clear winter night framing the full moon like jewels in a necklace. But that was all she saw.

"My guiding moonlight..." the Auroran's focus returned to her brother when she heard his utterings, watching as he finally staggered onto the platform in the center of the tower. She gasped as she watched him fall to his knees, gazing up at the moon in complete reverence. Before she could race forward in his direction, before she could even wonder why no one else had moved, she froze. Words escaped her as they did her brother; and against struggling and failing to get her legs to respond, she felt compelled to raise her gaze again. Had her voice not already fled her, it would have then.

No amount of telling herself she was about to see the Legendary Pokémon could have prepared her for the actual sight. Equine in form, with an immaculately white exterior flanking grey and encased in gold, it basked in the soft glow of the moon behind it, which only made its own illumination brighter. Any brighter, Kazumi thought, and the Legendary Pokemon would have been only a few steps away from the sun: and even then the Auroran doubted she would have been able to turn her gaze away. The God above made no motions, standing stiff even as it somehow drew closer to her brother. She barely noted that the closer the Legendary Pokémon drew near, the dimmer the radiance pouring off of its pristine form grew.

"We are Arceus, the Creator," a wave of emotions rolled over the Auroran as the declaration echoed in her head. The voice seemed to surpass sound itself, the words lacking any discernible tone or timbre, and instead blazed straight down to her soul, leaving behind an overwhelming sense of dread and an accompanying shiver. The sheer force behind the thought was nearly enough to send her to her knees; most of her compatriots had been less resilient, Masamune even choking out a breath as he was forced onto all fours, head downturned. Tadashi remained motionless, somehow staring up at the creature floating only a few feet above him. And that was when Kazumi realized the Alpha had moved; its eyes, translucent red framed within green, almost as if they were stained glass, dipped down to reflect her brother.

And then it lowered a hoof.

Kazumi watched, transfixed, as little more than the tip of the Creator's hoof rested on the helm of her statuesque brother. And they stood like that, for a mere second in time, a soft light dancing between the two before the most blood-curdling screech she had ever heard erupted from Tadashi. It echoed with the same force she had felt from the Legendary Pokémon, his screams being just short of incomprehensible babble. An yet he remained motionless, shouting his lungs out, while she put every last ounce of willpower into trying to break free of the numbness that had overtaken her limbs. It was all to no avail; to her, the cries seemed to drag on for eternity, before ending as suddenly as they had begun. Her brother collapsed without so much as a breath after reaching decibels that she doubted she could, falling down into what could have easily been mistaken for death. Her breath joined the rest of her body as the sight of her brother, lying in a crumpled heap before a god, was carved into her consciousness as second time.

The groan that rose from him nearly gave her a heart attack; were it not for the sudden sense of relief that welled up in her chest, it would have been from how she _felt_ her brother's grunt as he slowly began to push himself upright. And then she realized sensation had returned to her legs. Taking an experimental step forwards, eyes drifting back in the direction of the Legendary Pokémon suspended impassively above her brother, she steeled her nerves to beseech the deity. To her surprise, the Alpha only floated around - stiffly, without any motion seeming to propel it away from her direction - with her brother orienting himself in the direction the Legendary Pokémon was now facing. She allowed her gaze to follow them to the other end of the tower; at first she saw nothing, save the endless expanse of Ransei's darkened skyline, but then her eye caught something flickering in the void.

It was a streak of gold, illuminated against the night sky - cut of the same shade that she watched envelop her brother when Arceus formed a link with him. She blinked, and realized that it was arcing towards them. Amber danced before her eyes as another Pokémon descended from the heavens; black as night, serpentine in structure and gargantuan in length, it spiraled down opposite from the Creator. The Hydreigon that followed the Legendary Pokémon was little more than a footnote in Kazumi's mind, too caught up in watching as Nobunaga dismounted from what she could only assume was an insurance policy.

"So, you finally deigned to show yourself," the sensation of simultaneously being aghast and amazed at how the Dragnovian was able to - or dared to - so freely tread and address Arceus left her stunned. "Was Ransei achieving peace on its own not sufficient for you?"

"You presume to cast blame for the actions of man," the voice sent chills down her spine - not from its sheer strength, but from the lack of intensity that she had felt prior. And this time, rather than being forced to take the knee through a thought alone, she heard the words - through her brother's voice. The feeling that she was, all of a sudden, very small returned with a vengeance. "The greatest of our creations, and the one upon which we bestowed dominion over himself. That which would learn from his mistakes."

"A man might, but mankind will not," Nobunaga returned, glibly, to the Deity above him. "And as Nobunaga choose to defy Ransei, so shall _I_ choose to defy its creator."

The atmosphere, against all natural laws, seemed to thicken at the Dragnovian's declaration.

"Even should Ransei respect the peace brought during the Auroran's lifetime, with firm knowledge of your existence it shall inevitably dissolve into warring once more. This legend which has plagued us since time immemorial must be... exorcised," he raised a fist, while Tadashi and Arceus remained unmoving. "Rayquaza was made master of the world for its presumptions in heaven - and heaven long ago abandoned Ransei. Extremespeed."

The Dragon behind the Warlord rocketed towards the Alpha at such a speed Kazumi strained to process it - only for it to suddenly freeze, open fangs frozen mere inches away from Arceus. This time, she noted, the Creator did move, rearing its elongated head backwards ever so slightly.

_"THE ARROGANCE!"_

That had not come out of her brother's mouth; for whatever power he had been bestowed, it was not enough to have sent her, the rest of their compatriots, or Rayquaza itself onto the cold stone below. She had simply been sent onto her rear; the landing was less than graceful, but a far cry from the very material the tower was constructed out of groaning as Rayquaza began to form an indentation in it. If Rayquaza's predicament was a deterrent to her - or any of those who had accompanied them - to attempt to stand back up, it was little more than a challenge to Nobunaga; who, somehow still standing, simply rushed forward, sword drawn. The Dragnovian barely took a step before he too was seized with the same palsy that had overtaken the Legendary Pokémon besides him.

"Begone," Kazumi let out a breath when she heard the words aloud again, only for it to catch in her throat as she watched Rayquaza seemingly dissipate in a cascade of soft light. The sight reminded her of lanterns fading into the darkened skies during a festival. In the time between her brother's declaration and Rayquaza's evaporation, Nobunaga had managed to break free of whatever vice Arceus had held him in, this time taking two languished steps forwards before a small nod from Arceus forced him to take the knee. Kazumi winced as she heard the tile crack underneath the Dragnovian's knee.

"You, Nobunaga Oda, who presumed to shepherd Ransei in our stead, who sought to see the world as we do; we have heard your plea. This is our Judgment: as the link was our first covenant with man, so shall we form a new covenant. The line of this one, and this one alone, shall be worthy. And so we shall leave man once more; and when we return, we shall judge the fruits of its labor," Nobunaga, still holding himself upright with one fist, was forced to lie prostrate. "And for your sins, we sentence you to _life_. You shall not know peace nor death; you shall wander the earth in search of atonement until you finally know the humility you have imposed upon Ransei."

The grunt that followed the declaration did not come from Nobunaga; it came from Tadashi, a hand shooting underneath his helmet as he dropped to a knee himself. He looked up at the Legendary Pokémon above, visage stuck between bewilderment and terror as he met Arceus' eyes.

"I understand," he breathed out after a prolonged minute of silence, sounding like he had just regained the ability to breathe. And even if his words no longer had the same power behind them, Tadashi's sister could still hear an echo of it. "Lord Arceus."

Kazumi finally allowed herself to blink; in that short time, Arceus had vanished into the ether, and Tadashi had collapsed onto his side, facing the firmament above. Kazumi then realized the air had thinned and she let out a breath in relief, sparing no time in rushing to Tadashi's side. Enveloping her brother in her arms, she barely registered Oichi behind her or Nobunaga - freed of Arceus' restraints himself - staggering towards the edge of the tower.

"Kazumi," Tadashi groaned, blinking as her face overtook his view of the stars. He reached up, trembling hand grasping her wrist tightly, as if to make sure she was real. The smile he wore felt rectifying, if not haggard. "It's good to see you."

Finding herself at a loss of words, Kazumi's response was to wrap her arms around him. It took her a second to realize that she was crying; Tadashi slung a limp arm around her back.

"I feared-"

"I had been lost?" Tadashi finished for his sister, smile unwavering even as he paled. He let out a hoarse chuckle. "While our hearts were aligned, what I... saw... even now I can hardly comprehend. But I endured - although, I am quite tired."

Kazumi quickly composed herself with a quiet snivel, gulping down the last of her tears as she let go. Tadashi looked past her, smile widening a hair at the sight of Oichi.

"My north star..." he tried to stand up back, and only succeeded by leaning on Kazumi. Tadashi's knees wobbled, but he managed to hold his head high. Oichi gave a bittersweet smile in turn, followed by a hug that lasted for only a fleeting second before her attentions found themselves drawn beyond the Auroran. With his sister's help, he followed Oichi's gaze to the Dragnovian, staring off into the distance. While her brother and Oichi seemed fully fixated on how close to the edge of the tower Nobunaga was standing, Kazumi noticed Masamune in her periphery, his hand hovering above one of the pistols on his belt as he watched the vanquished. Kazumi couldn't fault him.

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Tadashi finally asked, grave tone breaking through the pallor that had descended between them.

"No," Oichi replied after a moment's hesitation. "This is something I need to face myself."

Tadashi nodded, watching alongside everyone else as Oichi approached Nobunaga. She stopped a few feet behind him, clenching and relaxing her fists, words dancing on a bit tongue.

"If you desire vengeance, then exact it."

Oichi was almost taken aback by how sudden the declaration encroached on her thoughts; even with her brother's imposing tones sounding little more than a shadow of what they had been mere minutes prior, it still demanded her attention.

"I don't think I can ever forgive you for your actions, Nobunaga," she replied, through a shaky breath. "But I'm not going to dishonor them either."

"What is it that you desire?" Nobunaga asked, finally turning around to meet her gaze. Oichi managed to hold it, even as her mind swirled with a slew of answers. Amidst all of them, for a brief moment, the distant memory of being carried on his shoulders made itself known again.

"I want to know why," she finally said. "You could have unified the region yourself, by your own hands. You didn't have to resort to this."

"You are stronger than Nobunaga, Oichi," the Dragnovian answered after a long, morbid pause. "And your strength will be what Ransei needs."

Oichi found herself at a loss for words.

"The sun's rising," she finally managed after another long minute, somewhat thankful that her brother's imposing figure kept her from being blinded by the distant sphere.

"Is that so?" Nobunaga turned back around, joining Hydreigon in watching the horizon. "Then go: the day is yours."

"Goodbye," hard as she tried, some hints of melancholy sunk into her voice as she watched him take a step toward the tower's edge. "Brother."

Nobunaga gave no reply. She turned away, back towards her waiting companions. Tadashi, now standing upright on his own, held out his hand. She took it, sparing one final look back at her brother.

Nobunaga was gone, and Hydreigon had followed.

* * *

The trip back down through the guts of Infinite Tower had been as surprisingly expedient as the trip up - and even with that, Oichi decided, she could do the rest of her life without having to make it again. And the last person she expected to be waiting for their group at the bottom was Ranmaru. She eyed the page warily - not easily, as she bore him no grudge, but simply out of knowing his devotion to a now defunct leadership. Tadashi had picked up on her apprehension and, already at her right, placed himself in front to intercept any unexpected movements. For his part, Ranmaru's indelible expression betrayed no malice.

"Lady Oichi," to everyone but her's surprise, Nobunaga's page gave her a bow. "Lord Nobunaga instructed me to give this to you in the event of his defeat."

Tadashi's first instinct took over and he took that as cue to take a step in Ranmaru's direction - Oichi, not sharing the same sense of threat despite having twice the dread of the Auroran, just looked down at the dirt below. Ranmaru blinked in Tadashi's direction, watching him tense when the Dragnovian's hand went towards his waist, and the page decided to avoid any possible confrontation by handing the resulting scroll to the Auroran. Tadashi arced an eyebrow, turned the paper over in his hand, and then passed it to Oichi. He watched her unroll the scroll, eyes running across the calligraphy - Ranmaru's calligraphy, Oichi belatedly realized, even if it was clearly her brother's prose - face flushing red as her knuckles turned white. Oichi said nothing as she closed the scroll, wordlessly handing it back to Tadashi as she struggled to maintain her composure. This time Tadashi read it.

"You're under no obligations to become Dragnor's Warlord," he finally said, passing the will down to Kazumi.

"Maybe not..." Oichi's tone - even through the conflict and resentment - said otherwise. "But I was the one who rallied Ransei against Dragnor. It's only right I see this through."

Tadashi let out a huff through his nostrils, and then gave a nod.

"Then this is a burden I will share with you."

* * *

The day had gone by like a whirlwind, everyone caught up as they were in the impromptu preparations for the ceremony as much as they were in handling the fallout of the battle that finally unified Ransei. But the preparations were finally over, and Oichi found herself standing with bated breath in front of the doors to Dragnor's throne room. She wrung her hands as Kazumi made a few final adjustments to her hair, the Auroran having spent the past few hours helping her get ready. Ranmaru, standing in front of the doors, tried to avoid her gaze.

"Ranmaru," she finally said, tired of watching him pretend to be a statue.

"Yes, Lady Oichi?" he said, snapping to attention with a frightening amount of vigor.

"You're not obligated to follow me," Oichi's voice nearly hitched as Kazumi tugged on her hair in the midst of forming a bun. That managed to get some expression out of him; a quiet, small frown that only succeeded in making the page look more tense.

"Just as you do, Lady Oichi, I too must help Dragnor through this."

"I hope to be worthy of your loyalty one day..." the princess uttered.

"I hope so too," Ranmaru replied, not ungenerously.

"Done," Kazumi said, as if she had been the first one to speak. Oichi nodded, only slightly, somewhat fearful the movement would undo the past few hours of the Auroran's work - the Dragnovian felt almost guilty in letting Kazumi help, her ponytail still a stump of what it once was. She took one final look down at herself as Ranmaru moved to push the doors open; while Oichi had always prided herself on maintaining a presentable appearance, the kimono Kazumi had found for her - complete with a massive pink bow in the front, further accentuated with a golden brooch - felt almost excessive, if not downright mocking; while the throne room was the least damaged part of the castle, the idea of having spent the better part of the day beautifying herself while everyone else worked to clean up the mess of Dragnor's keep did not sit well with her. She pushed aside her remaining hesitation when she heard the doors begin to grind against the floor.

Oichi wanted to seize up the moment she stepped through the threshold. While not unused to being around Ransei's most important and powerful warriors, she had just been given the dubious honor of being the undivided center of their attention. Under any other circumstances, she would have allowed herself to succumb to the paralysis fighting for control of her legs. Instead she focused on the end of the room, past the rows of marble columns and Warlords, where the throne laid: where Tadashi stood. Draped in a magnificent grey cloak - grey as his hair, which only made the layer of polish on his armor shine - that had doubtlessly been requisitioned from somewhere in the castle, he stood resolutely at the foot of the throne. She took a step forward and nearly stopped alongside Kazumi when she realized that he had discarded his helmet; revealing a mane as silvery as his eyes.

Oichi knew why he did it - if any doubts lingered over whether he had actually been chosen by the Legendary Pokémon remained, then publically baring the stress of the link would easily dispel them. She took a small breath with another step forward; she had no right to hesitate now. Her march to the throne went by in a blink, a collage of faces and memories flashing across her vision before she found herself kneeling before Tadashi. The importance of oath he declaimed - one that Motonari had spent hours ensuring they could recite flawlessly - was not lost on her, even if the particular words were as she kept her head bowed. Replying with the practiced lines when it was her turn, Oichi briefly reflected on the fact that she would be the first warlord in over a century to be inaugurated with the oath of fealty that the Shogun used to issue to his vassals. But Tadashi had not assumed the title; the Shogun could not claim investiture from the Legendary Pokémon himself, and Motonari had suggested an entirely new institution altogether.

Tadashi finished reciting the final part of the oath, and turned to Motonari, who had been given the honor of bearing Dragnor's diadem: hers - the idea of thinking of Dragnor as her kingdom still came uneasily - was the only kingdom to have a crown, the wreath of gold leaf molded into wisterias having once been the Shogun's before the office became defunct and the regalia was pawned off to Dragnor. She tensed when the shadows of Tadashi's arms fell over her, and grit her teeth as the metal dug into her hair and ears. Tadashi took a step back, the room breaking into a cheer - doubtlessly a courtesy for at least a third of it, Oichi thought - as she rose and proceeded to the throne above.

She had never dreamed of sitting on the throne her father and brother occupied; certainly, the coldness of the stone would have easily struck her out of any such illusions. Suppressing a shiver, even through the many layers she was wrapped in, Oichi uncomfortably settled into the rough stone, hands folded on her lap when she realized the armrests had been built for someone with broader shoulders than her.

Oichi found herself unable to grin, even for the benefit of the cheering crowd below her, but did manage a half-smile when she saw Tadashi's.

* * *

"Y'all're really giving me Ignis back?" had Hideyoshi's eyes grown any larger, they would have actually managed to surpass the appetite he had put on display during the feast. Tadashi nodded reservedly, half his mind busy hoping that Oichi would be able to handle the deluge of congratulations and questions from her fellow Warlords. That number, at least, had been somewhat diminished by the hasty departure of Illusio, Terrera and Cragspur's contingents.

"Hideyoshi, after fighting us all the way to Dragnor, I think trying to keep you out of Ignis would cause more trouble than just returning it," he allowed the deadpan, if only to hide that he shared his sister's sentiment that the Ignite had more than earned his kingdom back.

"Heh," the half-chuckle gave Tadashi the impression Hideyoshi somehow knew his true reasoning. "Well, even if you weren't so gracious, I'd still have a cozy spot in Viperia," the Ignite spared a sideways smile for the woman at his right, one that was wholeheartedly returned. "Still, I'm not about to look a gift Rapidash in the mouth - ain't that right, Kanbei?"

The tactician looming behind the couple gave a nod that, had it been on anyone else, would have looked sheepish. Kanbei's announcement that he had decided to return to Ignis as Hideyoshi's tactician came as something of a shock for their circle, but not as a particular surprise to Tadashi - while the Auroran hadn't asked, he suspected the decision was largely driven by seeing the writing on the wall with Hanbei and Kazumi's relationship and wanting to make a clean break - and in that, Tadashi could empathize.

"I have missed Ignis for some time," the albino replied, and Tadashi wondered if he had just heard Kanbei's voice crack. Hideyoshi just grinned and crossed his arms as he turned around.

"Yeah, but you don't need me to change that, do you?" Kanbei's countenance flushed slightly, and Hideyoshi spun back to the Auroran.

"Anyhow, I'm guessin' Lady Kazumi wants to talk to you, so we'll mosey off - and we can settle the score another day, rival."

"I look forward to it," Tadashi whispered as he watched the trio saunter off, turning around just in time to see Kazumi and Hanbei - arm in arm - only a few feet away. Hanbei was in the middle of telling her something she found funny enough to be openly laughing; not enough to be obnoxious, but certainly to catch some fleeting glances. The cups they were holding may have also had something to do with it. Tadashi blinked, the promise he made to his sister at Valora imposing itself over his thoughts, and then realized what Hideyoshi said had been technically true.

Kazumi looked up from her companion when she noticed her brother approaching out of the corner of her eye, greeting him with a reddened face, dizzy smile and slightly unfocused eyes.

"Brother!" she said - and, to Tadashi's relief - without any noticeable slurring. She held out her cup. "Care for some?"

If there was one thing in Dragnor that the word 'plundered' could be justifiably applied to, it would be its food stores; and amongst them had been a number of bottles of imported alcohol. Tadashi eyed the liquid with scorn for a short second before remembering where he was.

"No thank you, sister, I've only just gotten sober," he answered; holding up a hand. She held up an eyebrow in turn. "And I did say we would talk."

She blinked, once, then twice, taking whatever fogginess she might have had with it.

"I'll need to talk to Kanbei, too," Hanbei volunteered, making a point of pecking Kazumi on the cheek before untangling his arm from hers and disappearing into the crowd. Kazumi set down her cup and gestured in the direction of one of the alcoves in Dragnor's throne room. It fed into a small balcony, giving them a perfect view of Dragnor's starry landscape. In the distance, Tadashi could make out the black pillar of Infinite Tower, looking altogether unassuming in its current state. The twins stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity, watching the stars in peace as the festivities passed them by.

"Kazumi."

"Tadashi."

Both blinked when they realized they had spoke in tandem. Kazumi let out a dry chuckle that sounded more like a sigh while Tadashi coughed uncomfortably.

"You first, brother," she said, quietly. Tadashi let out a breath, watching it materialize in front of him.

"I want to apologize, sister," Tadashi leaned forward, hands resting against the railing as his eyes scanned the distance below. From the number of lights floating about the city, he could guess that even the wary populace of Dragnor could at least celebrate unification. "I've been unfair to you..." Tadashi let out a breath, struggling to find words. "Regardless of my intentions, I've held you as the cause for my actions. And that is inexcusable."

"It would be wrong of me to say I responsible for some of your behavior, Tadashi," it was her turn to let out a sigh. "I was haughty, and you had to suffer for it. For that, I'm sorry."

No great wave of relief came to drown Tadashi in catharsis - but it was a step forwards. He gave a half nod.

"I forgive you, sister," there was a short pause, where he kept his lips pursed as he mulled over his thoughts. "And above all else, I'm glad we have this chance to reconcile."

"Before we part ways?" Kazumi finished for him. Tadashi, still looking down, couldn't keep the frown from his face.

"Yes," he pushed himself off the railing and turned around to face his sister. "I've talked about it with Oichi-"

"And she'll need you more than Aurora will," Kazumi said, affecting a small smile, one that Tadashi found himself returning as she continued. "But you'll always have a room there, and nothing will change that."

"We will visit for the New Year's Festival, of course. I'll announce my resignation as warlord then."

"I was planning on announcing my engagement then," Kazumi's smile took on a sly tone. "And what about you, brother?"

Tadashi's face flushed red and he nearly choked on his own words - but, faintly, it was a relief to him that he could freely display that side around his sister. That he could talk to her like this.

"We're thinking about a private ceremony in the spring and a public one in the fall; rebuilding Dragnor takes precedent right now."

"Well," Tadashi tensed when Kazumi her arms around him, and then relaxed and returned the embrace. "I'll be there, brother. Always."

"As will I, sister," the hug lasted only a few seconds, but the warmth of it clung to him against the cold night air. Kazumi looked past Tadashi to find Oichi maintaining a respectful, almost disinterested distance in the alcove behind them. She gave her brother a melancholy smile when his gaze followed, and bowed out with a quiet goodbye to Tadashi. Oichi was at his side in seconds.

"They finally let you alone?" he asked with a wry half-smile. Dragnor's warlord pouted, not unsportingly, making it look even more dissonant against the soft gleam of the diadem.

"Long enough for me to sneak away," she replied, taking a second's glance over her shoulder before slipping her arm into Tadashi's. "This is already the best part of the evening for me."

"I'm glad..." he echoed, his free hand going to the arm she had wrapped around his.

"Your voice says otherwise. Did something happen with Lady Kazumi?"

"No. I'm just... ruminating on the future..." she looked up to find a worry line beginning to firmly settle into his features. "After you left to prepare for the crowning, Lord Motonari and I talked for a little while about the Legendary Pokémon. He said that I had been given a tragically long life."

"Even if we will have to suffer tragedy in the future, even if you outlive me by decades, that will only make the joyous moments all the sweeter," Tadashi found it hard to stay depressed with the image of her smiling countenance.

"You're right, we have our whole lives ahead of us," he replied as he turned down to meet her gaze. "Perhaps I'll be remembered by myriads of people I will never be afforded the chance to meet. But I would prefer to be remembered favorably by those I do know first. And that will begin with us."

"I wish this moment could last forever," Oichi said after another minute of silent stargazing.

"Even if it won't, the memory will," Tadashi replied. "And I will remember this moment for the rest of my life, no matter how long it may be. And Oichi?" he allowed a smile, the most genuine he had worn all day. "Thank you for having faith in me, even when I didn't."

Tadashi disentangled his arm from Oichi's, gently, and spun around to her front. With smiles reflecting one another and hands intertwined, the two effortlessly fell into their rhythm. And though their dance was fleeting, it lasted an eternity.


End file.
